Kropsla en bloemmotieven Possibly 1917 - 1922

Theo Colenbrander made "Kropsla en bloemmotieven" with pencil and watercolor, and it looks like it was a real process to make! The shapes are outlined in pen, but the colors inside are loose and watery, as if he wanted to see what would happen when he put them together. I really love the way that the colors don't quite fit inside the lines – it’s this almost childlike approach. There's something about the way the colors bleed into each other that feels very alive, like the flowers are still growing and changing. Look at the larger flower on the left side of the image. You can see where the yellow bled past the line and became green. It creates this sense of movement that’s really beautiful. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint's botanical studies – there’s something so joyous and free in her approach to color and form. Art is a conversation across time, and it’s really about the questions you ask, not necessarily the answers you give.