Window-Sill, Lugano 1923

Winifred Nicholson painted "Window-Sill, Lugano" with oil paint, and I can only imagine the slow layering she took as she built this up. It’s all about the rhythm of seeing, pausing, and responding. Look at how the texture of the paint creates the form. The hills in the background are built up from chunky strokes, while the flowers are made with smaller dabs and flicks. Each brushstroke feels deliberate, like a little decision being made in real-time. Focus on the blue petals, how they seem to vibrate against the ochre of the window sill. The color is thick and juicy, capturing the light in a way that feels almost edible. The whole thing has a kind of casualness to it, a lack of pretension. The painting has a real freshness; it’s a reminder that art is about the ongoing conversation between the artist and the world. I think Nicholson's approach can be compared to Bonnard, both shared a love of domestic scenes and an interest in capturing fleeting moments of light and color, but Nicholson brings a distinct sensibility to her work. It's a good reminder that art is never finished, only abandoned.