At the Gate 1924

James McBey made this watercolor, "At the Gate", sometime during his career, probably on location. Look at the way the colors sort of bleed into each other; it feels like he was working quickly, capturing a fleeting moment. There’s this lovely, hazy quality to the whole thing, with soft blues, greens, and browns blending together. You can almost feel the dampness in the air and smell the grass! See how the figure is rendered in just a few simple strokes. McBey really knew how to suggest form and light with minimal effort, which is impressive. It’s interesting to think about how this kind of loose, impressionistic style relates to someone like John Singer Sargent, who also worked in watercolor and was interested in capturing light and atmosphere. Both artists seem to be less concerned with perfect representation and more interested in capturing the feeling of a particular place or moment. And that’s something that always resonates with me.