Grenada 1910

Pyotr Konchalovsky made this evocative watercolour, Grenada, using flowing washes of translucent colour. It’s like he’s trying to capture not just the look but the very feeling of the place – the way the light hits the buildings, the shadows they cast, the overall vibe. I can just imagine him there with his paper and paints, trying to get it all down before the light changes. Notice how he lets the white of the paper shine through in places. It makes the colours sing. Watercolour is a tricky medium; you have to let the water do its thing. The purple shadows! That splash of green. And the rooftops, rendered with such simple marks. It’s so fresh and immediate, like a snapshot of a moment in time. You know, I’ve been trying to loosen up my own painting lately, to let go of control and embrace the accidents. Seeing work like this reminds me why.