Small Point, Maine 1915

John Marin dashed this watercolor onto paper, capturing Small Point, Maine, with quick, spontaneous gestures. It’s all about the process here, isn’t it? The way Marin layers washes of pale green and grey, it’s like he’s trying to bottle the ocean’s breath. Look closely, and you can almost feel the salt spray and see the light shifting. The marks are so immediate, so fleeting, that they seem to capture a moment in time that’s already slipping away. Notice that dark spot at the lower left, it could be a rock or shadow, but it draws my eye, grounding the composition and adding a touch of mystery. I think of Cézanne and his watercolors, the way he built form with delicate, translucent layers. Both artists seem to understand that sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is let the paint speak for itself. Art is a conversation, after all.