The Balloon 1907

Maurice Prendergast made this watercolour painting on paper, with an image of a summery park scene bustling with figures. The dabs of blue and white that make up the trees are gorgeous, aren’t they? You can almost imagine Prendergast capturing the feel of a bright sunny day, standing there with his brush, trying to get it just right. He lays the paint down, and then lifts his brush and then again, dab dab dab. The balloon, floating high in the sky, makes me think about how, as artists, we’re always trying to reach a bit higher, you know? Like, how can I capture this moment, this feeling, this light? How can I make something that lifts the spirit a bit? This reminds me a bit of Bonnard and Vuillard, too - that whole loose and light touch that the Post-Impressionists were so good at. Painting is like one big conversation that never ends. Everyone’s riffing off of each other, trying new things, seeing what works, what doesn’t. It’s all about that exchange, that back-and-forth. It's not about a single right way of seeing but, rather, creating a space for multiple ways of experiencing the world.