Heybridge 1923

James McBey’s “Heybridge” is a watercolor that catches a liminal scene, it's as if the whole vista is on the cusp of disappearing into the wash. I wonder about McBey and his relationship with the scene. What did he leave out and what did he emphasize? The pigment is light, almost transparent, creating an atmosphere that feels both present and dreamlike. You can see how the strokes are fluid, capturing the essence of light and shadow. It has a sketchy ephemeral quality. Look how the boats look like they're dancing between the land and sea. I get the sense that McBey was trying to capture a fleeting moment, something he saw and felt rather than just depicting what was there. It reminds me of some of Turner’s watercolors, where the landscape dissolves into light and color. It feels like an ongoing conversation with other artists, responding to the world in a way that's both deeply personal and universally resonant. You can imagine how painting becomes a form of embodied expression, where ambiguity and uncertainty allows for multiple interpretations.