Flowers c. 1968 - 1970

Sidney Nolan made this work, Flowers, using watercolor washes. I think it has the energy of pure process. You can almost feel the artist’s hand at play here. It is very free and experimental. The texture is flat and the surface smooth. Nolan’s brushstrokes are confident and fluid, creating petals that almost lift off the page. The thin layers of color and visible brushstrokes add to the liveliness of the painting. The interplay between the orange-peach and violet is very satisfying and makes each mark sing. It looks like the flowers are in motion. Nolan's work reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell's in terms of gesture. Art is just one long conversation, right? It doesn't have to be too serious, instead it can explore the beauty and ambiguity that's all around us.