Eastern Road, Turramurra 1926

Grace Cossington Smith painted this landscape with watercolor in a style that feels both modern and timeless. Just look at the road, stretching off like a ribbon of muted pinks and grays, those trees almost vibrating with their blocky greens and blues. I can imagine Smith standing there, maybe on a slightly overcast day, squinting at the scene, making choices about which shapes to emphasize, which colors to pull out. Notice how she’s simplified everything, almost like she’s building with color blocks. And that figure way off in the distance? Just a few strokes, but it gives the whole scene a sense of depth and perspective. The clouds are not really clouds, are they? They’re more like an idea of a cloud. Smith was part of a generation of artists who were really pushing the boundaries of what painting could be. You can feel that experimentation in every brushstroke. It’s like she’s saying, “This is my way of seeing the world, and I’m inviting you to see it with me.” And who wouldn’t want to take her up on that invitation?