Deer Hunters c. 1930

Velino Shije Herrera made *Deer Hunters* with watercolor on paper, and the image is just so alive with motion, isn’t it? I can feel the pounding hooves and the breathless chase. Look at how Herrera captures the energy of the hunt, those hunters leaning forward, and the deer so gracefully leaping to escape. And what about those yellows, reds, browns and whites set against the paper?! The colors feel so immediate, don’t they? I wonder what Herrera was thinking, sitting there with his brush, deciding which color to lay down next? There's this push-and-pull between control and letting go, a real conversation between the artist and the painting. Herrera's work really speaks to the way painting can be a way of storytelling. And it reminds me that every artist is always in conversation with those who came before. It's like we're all just borrowing and lending, trying to make something new out of what's already been.