Waratah 1928

Grace Cossington Smith made this painting of a Waratah, and look at those strokes – dabbing and daubing in warm reds, cool blues, and earthy greens! You can almost feel the artist building the image bit by bit, like a mosaic of colour. I wonder what it was like for her, standing there, brush in hand, trying to capture the essence of this flower? The texture is so immediate, almost chunky in places, giving the flower a real weight. I love how she’s used these small touches of contrasting colours to make the whole thing vibrate with life. She really breaks down the flower into its essential forms, like she's figuring it out as she goes along, each dab of paint a little question mark. Smith's paintings often have this incredible sense of light and colour. It makes me think about other painters like Bonnard, who were also interested in capturing the everyday beauty of the world around them. Painting is like a visual conversation across time! It leaves room for us to bring our own feelings, thoughts, and experiences.