West Point, Maine 1914

John Marin made this watercolor of West Point, Maine, sometime in the early part of the 20th Century. Looking at the gestures, I imagine him outside, his paper buffeted by a sea breeze, trying to capture the essence of the place with his brushstrokes. The greens and blues, mixed with those peach tones up top, really evoke the feeling of a coastal landscape. It’s like he’s trying to pin down something fleeting, an impression, a sensation. I can almost feel the sun on my skin, or the grit of sand. See those quick, energetic lines that dart across the paper? They remind me a little of Marsden Hartley's landscapes. It's like he's channeling the energy of the place through his hand. There's something so immediate and alive in this piece. Like he's saying, "This is how I see it, this is how I feel it." And that’s what painting is all about, isn’t it?