The Year's at the Spring 1920

Harry Clarke made this watercolor, "The Year's at the Spring", using delicate lines and colors that seem to float off the page. Look at the way the figures emerge from these streams of color, it’s like seeing a dream take shape right before your eyes. There’s something so ethereal about the way Clarke uses watercolor, isn't there? The colors are light, almost transparent. The marks are flowing, like ribbons dancing in the wind. The overall effect is like a shimmering veil between worlds. It's hard to know if these are angels or just a fevered vision, and that’s what makes it so compelling. Notice that single, long green line that curves through the landscape - it’s like a path or a stream, connecting the earth to the sky. Clarke reminds me of Aubrey Beardsley, in his ability to create these elaborate fantasy worlds. Both artists leave me thinking about how art allows us to imagine different ways of seeing and experiencing everything.