Tie-back c. 1941

This is a watercolor drawing of a Tie-back by Helen Bronson. Just imagine Helen with her brush, carefully layering translucent washes of gold, and creating a luminous effect on the leaves. The white flower in the center adds a touch of purity. What I love here is the dedication to rendering every detail of the object and that's how it becomes an exercise in close looking. You can almost see her thinking, dab dab, building up those tonal variations, trying to capture the subtle shifts in light and form. The way she's handled this watercolor is very delicate and precise, but also manages to convey a sense of the object's texture and weight. I love these observational drawings, because artists are in an ongoing conversation, learning from each other, across time. Ultimately, painting is a way of seeing, thinking, and feeling – a conversation between the artist, the artwork, and you.