Jack Snipe Rising 1931

This delicate watercolor painting of a Jack Snipe taking flight was made by Archibald Thorburn, most likely in 1935. Look how the snipe's wings, rendered in soft browns and grays, are caught mid-flap against the misty horizon. I can almost feel the artist, Thorburn’s, patient observation, waiting for the bird to take flight. There’s something so tender in the way he’s captured this moment, a real sense of movement. The cool blues and browns of the marsh create a sense of calm, a stillness about to be disrupted by the bird’s sudden ascent. I love how the subtle washes of color give depth to the scene, the paint is so thin it’s barely there. It reminds me of how all painters, in their own way, are naturalists, watching and waiting for the world to reveal itself to them. It's not just about documentation, it's about feeling, about capturing the essence of a moment, an animal, a landscape. This little painting is a testament to that quiet, watchful practice.