Winter c. 1927

Wilson Irvine made this small watercolour painting titled ‘Winter’ sometime in the early 20th century, and it’s a total trip. Check out the surface, it’s completely activated! What I mean by that is, you can tell that every single millimetre of this piece has been lovingly attended to. The colours are like a gorgeous soup, and it's hard to say what’s figure and what’s ground. Orange, green and tan pigments run into one another, creating a mottled effect overall. Look closely and you’ll notice how Irvine used the wet-on-wet technique to allow the colours to blend organically, giving the impression of a landscape in flux. I’m reminded of Helen Frankenthaler's soak-stain paintings, where the paint becomes one with the canvas. This piece feels like a conversation between tradition and experimentation, offering a fresh take on landscape painting through its innovative use of watercolour. The longer you look, the more you’ll see.