Detail of Early Cutter c. 1938

Dorothy Brennan made this watercolour on paper, of a ‘Detail of Early Cutter’. Brennan really lets the paint do its thing. The surface is fluid, and the brushstrokes give a sense of the artist's hand moving across the paper, like she is in conversation with the image. The warm palette of browns and golds really creates a sense of depth, which feels natural but is actually very carefully crafted. Look at the oak leaves, their different tones of ochre and grey, and the way they are carefully arranged around the central motif of a vivid, orange acorn. It's like Brennan wants us to notice the beauty in the everyday, a real celebration of the colours and forms in our lives. This reminds me of Arthur Dove’s abstract watercolors, both artists find beauty in simplicity, emphasizing the potential of mark-making. For Brennan, art seems to be a process of embracing the unexpected and finding beauty in imperfection.