Sunshade 1935 - 1942

Here’s Christabel Scrymser’s ‘Sunshade,’ a watercolor that exists without a known date. There's something about that soft green – it’s not just a color, it’s like a feeling, an atmosphere, a bit like looking through a sea-tinted lens. Look at the layers and layers of ruffles on this parasol – each stroke feels like a little decision, a response to the last one, and to the object itself. I love the way she captures the light, it's soft, filtered, and makes you want to reach out and touch it. See the way the handle is rendered? The dark brown, the way the light plays on its curves? It's so tactile. You can almost feel the smoothness of the wood. I'm reminded a bit of Morandi, in that the piece takes an everyday object and elevates it to this amazing study of colour, light and shape. There’s no one right way to look at art, after all!