Central Australia Landscape 1939

Albert Namatjira made this watercolor of the Central Australian landscape, probably 'en plein air,' right there in the thick of it. I imagine Namatjira squinting, trying to capture the light as it rakes across the mountains. It is not easy to paint outside; the light shifts, the wind blows, and you are trying to keep track of it all. There's something about the way the mountains are rendered that feels so right—almost like he built them up with layers of color, one on top of the other. The colors are subtle, earthy, and he makes use of the white of the paper to his advantage. It reminds me of other painters who worked directly from nature, like Cezanne. There is a freshness, a sense of immediacy in his work. You feel like you're standing right there with him, breathing in the desert air. Painting is an ongoing conversation, with each artist building on the discoveries of those who came before, offering new ways of seeing and experiencing the world.