People Enjoying 1979

Walter Battiss made "People Enjoying" with watercolor, and it's all about the joy of process. You can really feel that playful energy in the way he's put down these washes. The colors are translucent, dreamy – pinks and browns and yellows that bleed into each other, making it hard to tell where one shape ends and another begins. It’s like he's letting the paint do its thing, surrendering control a bit. There’s a dark shape at the top, it's like a heavy raincloud, but the thin drips lighten the mood, and create movement. Look at how the figures float across the top of the image, arms outstretched. They're like simple shapes, but full of so much life. Battiss is creating a world, and it feels like he's making it up as he goes along. This reminds me of Miró, but with a definite South African twist. It’s more than just a painting; it's an invitation to play, experiment, and see where it takes you.