On the Rocks, North Shore 1919

Maurice Prendergast made this painting, On the Rocks, North Shore, with watercolor to create a scene of women at the seaside. The way he layers the colors, it’s like he’s letting us watch his thought process. Check out how the texture builds up in the rocks and the sky - you can almost feel the dampness in the air. Those blues and purples aren't just colors, they're moods. Notice the dress on the figure to the left – how the blues and yellows sit next to each other, juicy and almost edible. Prendergast reminds me a bit of Bonnard, with that same love for dappled light and everyday scenes. But Prendergast has his own way of playing with the edge of abstraction, inviting us to complete the picture in our minds. It’s like he’s saying, "Here’s a world, but it's up to you to feel it."