Renouf creates minimalist abstract paintings and drawings developed from her close attention to subtle properties of materials. This drawing belongs to a series of ten in which she sought to express a feeling of celebration. Renouf made this work in her New York studio, which was above a store of Chinese imported goods, including ceramic vases and bowls, some bearing Chinese calligraphy. She was inspired by these objects to visit the Asian art galleries at Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she encountered further examples of Chinese and Japanese calligraphy. This experience inspired her to develop a "personal calligraphy" using watercolor. Renouf gave three of the works from this series, including this one, as gifts. As in other works, Renouf incised lines into the paper with an etching needle in order to reveal the materiality of the cotton paper fiber.
Signed and dated on recto, bottom right: "E. Renouf 12 '82;" bottom left: "Incised watercolor marks #5;" bottom center: "For Peter, with love -- Edda June 13, '83"