Bishopston 1927

Here is a watercolour by James McBey. The paper's almost the colour of pale tea, and on it he's washed in the forms of a landscape. I wonder, did McBey do this en plein air, out in the field? I can imagine him, squinting in the sun, trying to get the essence of the place down. I can imagine the quick strokes, the brush dancing over the paper, catching the light on the stone wall, the way the grass bends in the breeze. It's interesting how he's captured the sparseness of the scene using economical strokes. The composition is kind of classic, leading your eye into the distance, but there's also something a bit wonky and awkward about it, too. You can almost feel him thinking about the Old Masters. It's like he's tipping his hat to them while doing his own thing. And, in the end, isn’t that what we all aspire to do? To connect to the past while striking out on our own path.