The Mice Sewing the Mayor’s Coat 1902

Beatrix Potter made this watercolour and ink drawing of mice sewing sometime around 1900. Look at that pink coat. Whoa! What a colour! It's almost vibrating with an inner light. I can imagine Potter, hunched over her drawing, the tiny brush dancing across the paper, bringing these mice to life. Each stroke feels deliberate, precise, yet full of tenderness. It's like she's whispering secrets onto the page. You know, I often think about how much love goes into these things. All the small strokes, the layers of detail, the patience… It’s so cute and naive, but in a very complex way. It's so wonderful how these small gestures and delicate washes create such a tangible and emotional world. Painting is like a conversation, right? A conversation with the materials, with the subject, with the history of art itself, and with anyone who cares to look.