Redwings Eating c. 1960

Walter Anderson made this watercolor painting of Redwings Eating, and I can just imagine him outside, trying to capture the movements of these birds, the relationships between them. The surface of the paper seems to bloom as the purple paint bleeds softly into it. Anderson is trying to catch a fleeting moment, and I can see the way he’s gone back in, adding detail and structure. The birds tilt in all directions, a dynamic group of individuals. They’re full of life, right there on the surface. I feel like I'm in the presence of an artist who is truly present, who isn’t afraid of simplicity, who sees the world with a sense of wonder and excitement. It's this kind of looking and working that connects one artist to another, across time, inspiring creativity and offering new ways of seeing and being in the world.