Deer Isle, Maine 1922

John Marin made this watercolor, Deer Isle, Maine, with what seems like such an open, playful approach. I love how he lets the colors bleed and mingle, embracing the unpredictable nature of the medium. The way Marin handles the paint is key here. See how the colors are laid down in washes, thin and transparent, allowing the white of the paper to shine through? The surface has this luminous quality, like the light reflecting off the water itself. Look at that stroke of deep blue cutting through the foreground; it's so simple, yet it captures the essence of a tidal pool. It is a physical record of a gesture, a moment in time. Marin's work reminds me a bit of Arthur Dove, another painter who sought to capture the feeling of a place rather than a literal depiction. It is a reminder that art isn't about fixed meanings but about opening up possibilities.