Ptarmigan Calling in the Snow 1926

This watercolour of Ptarmigans, was painted by Archibald Thorburn sometime between 1860 and 1935. Look at those thin washes of colour—it’s not overworked, it's laid down so delicately on the paper. I can really imagine being in that field with Thorburn as he's painting outdoors in the freezing cold! What’s so great about watercolour is how it’s almost impossible to control, so you need to be okay with giving yourself over to chance. See the way that he's built up the landscape in layers of pale washes of colour? It’s like he’s chased after the light as it changes across the snowy planes. Thorburn has this beautiful, loose way of painting. The birds have a really lovely presence about them. He’s been very careful and studied with the detail in their faces, but then almost gestural and free with the smattering of marks across their white feathers. It reminds me of the way that Durer painted animals, he really has so much love for them! And that’s what painting is all about, right? It's about love!