Sea and Rocky Shore 1948

Milton Avery made "Sea and Rocky Shore" with watercolor on paper. What I love about this piece is the way Avery reduces everything to these simple, almost childlike shapes and colors. It’s like he’s saying, "Hey, art doesn't have to be complicated to be beautiful." Look at the dark, squiggly lines he uses for the rocks, and the flat planes of color for the sea and sky. There’s a sense of immediacy, like he’s capturing a fleeting moment. The texture is created by the way the watercolor bleeds and blends on the paper. Notice the small, gestural marks that suggest movement and depth. It’s all very intuitive, and you can sense Avery's hand in the making of the piece. Avery reminds me of another great colorist, Henri Matisse, in the way that he plays with flatness and simplification. Both artists teach us that art is about seeing the world in a new and fresh way, even if it means breaking a few rules along the way.