Apres La Pluie. Tarang, Yap 1938

Paul Jacoulet created *Apres La Pluie. Tarang, Yap* with what looks like a watercolour wash, using the palest of blues, pinks and greens. It looks effortless but you can see the careful layering of colour. There’s such a lightness of touch in this piece. See how the pigments lie on the surface, almost like a memory of colour rather than a heavy deposit. The details in the palm tree fronds, for instance, are articulated with such care, like the artist really looked, then trusted himself to render the scene using just enough information. There’s a real confidence to his process. Look at the way the light falls across the sitters bodies, the faintest shadow of peach and umber gives them form and weight. For me it’s reminiscent of David Hockney’s lithographs of water. Both artists understand the beauty of simplicity, and the confidence that comes from really, really looking. Ultimately, both artists remind us that making art is about embracing the unknown.