Small Point, Maine 1915

John Marin made this watercolour painting, Small Point, Maine, to try and capture the feeling of being there. Look at how he lets the watery paint drip down the paper from the sky, mixing grey and white. Maybe he was thinking of a storm coming in off the sea? I bet it was hard to decide how much to leave out, how much to suggest rather than describe. He has used the brush like a calligraphy pen, so he is writing as much as painting. I like the little touches of tan, the scumbled green of the trees. What do you think he was looking at when he made this? I wonder how long it took him? Painting like this feels so immediate, but it comes out of a long history, a conversation between painters over time. It’s great to think that even today, artists are still inspired by his work and will take it forward.