Doorway, Main Entrance to Mission c. 1937

Geoffrey Holt's watercolour painting presents the main entrance to a mission. The palette is restrained—earthy reds and greys, with a pop of blue. I can imagine Holt, standing there, squinting in the sun. He's capturing the solid weight of the door, but also the crumbling edges of the building, the way things just don't stay new forever. The red bricks around the archway must have taken ages to render with such precision. And that little blue cross—it's like a tiny jewel, isn't it? A marker of faith, but also maybe Holt's own little spark of hope or something? There's a quietness to the painting, a stillness that makes you think about time, and the way things change. Holt is part of this long line of painters—each one looking, learning, and then adding their own little mark to the conversation. We all do it, in our own way. We can’t help it.