Moonlight 1941

Oliver Newberry Chaffee made this watercolor painting, Moonlight, with soft blues, pinks, greens, and oranges. Looking at this, I can almost feel the artist at work, the brush dancing across the paper, feeling the textures and seeing the colors bloom as the water spreads. I bet he made this quickly! The paint is thin, almost translucent, allowing the paper's texture to peek through. The overall effect is dreamy. I wonder if Chaffee was thinking about the Fauves when he made this? Or maybe he was just feeling playful, letting his imagination run wild as he conjured up these whimsical fish swimming under the moon. Those simple gestures, the curving lines that suggest movement, the carefully placed dots for eyes - they all come together to create a little world of wonder. It's like he's inviting us to dive in and swim along with them. He's not trying to impress us. He's trying to connect.