Everyday before sunrise, all the vendors in Damnern Saduak load their boats full of products and get ready for a selling adventure along the klong (canal).

One morning I saw two women talking on the left bank of the klong. One of them sat on her boat with a cup of coffee in her hand, while the other woman sat on her heels on a concrete step on the bank opposite her friend. Their boats were loaded and the women were ready to go right after they finished their coffee.

Daybreak in Damnern Saduak Floating Market is a great time for any visitor. The early morning sunlight shines on dozens of vendors heading in all directions within the narrow klong, their boats creating waves that sparkle and glisten in the clear sunshine. The scene made a lasting impression on me.

In this painting I show you a quiet moment in the calm early morning before the selling adventure begins. The yellow sunlight dances on the wooden poles and the boats. To catch the sparkling lumi- nosity of the waves I used a loose-edge brushstroke in the foreground. To capture the feel of the water I painted a first layer around the boat and the figure with new gamboge. When this initial layer was almost dry I added wavy strokes with tinted cobalt blue, with a slight touch of crimson red and yellow ochre. For the shirt on the left figure I used cobalt bluee with burnt sienna for her sarong. The right figure's shirt is painted with cerulean blue and a little touch of crimson red, followed by tinted burnt sienna for the face and two layers of diluted Payne's gray for her hair.

Looking at the whole picture, the wavy wash for the dancing waves adds a lively touch while the figures and the boats are perfectly placed to carry the eyes back and forth between them. The style is loose and direct, keeping the painting fresh.