The Red Steamshovel c. 1930s

Edgar Nye made this watercolor on paper, called The Red Steamshovel, sometime in the first half of the 20th century. I love the way the washes of color bleed into each other, creating this sense of a scene in motion, as if the red steamshovel and its surroundings are captured in a fleeting moment. I imagine Nye standing on the roadside, quickly sketching with watery color, trying to capture the feeling of the day. The steamshovel itself feels so alive with its big scoop arm. I can almost feel the artist’s presence, his curiosity and excitement about the scene unfolding before him. It makes me think about how we, as artists, are always in conversation with the world around us, trying to make sense of it through our work. Painting like this feels like a way of thinking, a way of exploring, and a way of connecting with something bigger than ourselves.