Alexandra 1953

Rita Angus created this watercolor painting, Alexandra, with gentle strokes and a soft, muted palette. It feels like a fleeting impression, a moment captured in washes of color. You can almost feel the sun beating down on the dry landscape. The textures are so delicate, the paint thin and transparent, allowing the paper's surface to breathe. Look closely at the foliage in the foreground. See how the shapes are built up through layers of translucent color? Each mark seems to hover between representation and abstraction. I'm reminded of someone like John Marin who also reveled in the immediacy of watercolor. Angus’s approach feels so process-oriented, like she's letting the medium lead the way, embracing the fluidity and chance encounters that come with it. Like life, painting is an ongoing conversation, full of ambiguity and open to endless interpretations.