By the sea 1904

Martiros Sarian made this watercolor, “By the Sea,” date unknown, with what looks like a very playful touch. The process feels as important as the place; like the painting is the sea! Looking closely, the paint is thin, almost translucent, but Sarian coaxes out a real sense of volume, especially in the tree. See how the color pools and blooms on the paper, creating these soft, blurry edges? It gives the whole scene a dreamlike quality, as if the sea itself is breathing. My eye is drawn to the base of the tree, the colors mix like dark magic! Sarian’s work reminds me a little of Arthur Dove, another artist who wasn’t afraid to let watercolors do their thing, and like Dove, Sarian reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, an exploration of seeing and feeling that never really ends.