Patten c. 1936

Charlotte Winter made this watercolour Patten, sometime between 1855 and 1995. Look closely, and you’ll see a careful, almost tentative way of making marks, building up the image from thin washes of colour. It reminds me that art is always a process of discovery, of finding your way through the materials. I’m really drawn to the colours here. The contrast between the earthy, muted tones of the shoe itself and the pop of that pink ribbon is so striking. The ribbon itself feels so delicate, rendered in soft, almost transparent layers of paint. The linear quality of the drawing feels precise but not overly fussy. I imagine that Winter was thinking about the composition, and the conversation between line and wash, as she made the painting. It makes me think of Agnes Martin and her subtle grid paintings and drawings. Both artists find a kind of quiet power in simplicity.