Chesapeake Bay I c. 2001

Ross Merrill made this watercolor painting, Chesapeake Bay I, on a sheet of paper. Look at how the colors blend into each other! It’s like the sky and the water are having a conversation. I can imagine Merrill standing there, trying to capture the fleeting moment of light with quick, confident strokes. The bright yellow might be his way of emphasizing the sun breaking through the clouds, kind of fighting against the dark. The gray shadows add depth and a bit of drama, don't you think? The thin washes of color create a sense of transparency, which is cool. It’s like you can see the air and feel the breeze. Merrill seems to be part of an ongoing conversation with artists like Turner, who were also fascinated by light and atmosphere. Painting is a shared endeavor, we all inspire each other across time.