Fairy tale. Garden of Eden. 1904

Martiros Sarian made this watercolor called Fairy tale. Garden of Eden. sometime in the early to mid 20th century. What I really notice first is the way Sarian uses color to create a dreamy, ethereal world. It's all about layering and blending, letting the colors bleed into each other. Look at the way he handles the trees. The trunks are solid, but the leaves are just suggestions, scribbled lines that hint at form. The paint is applied thinly, almost transparent in places, which gives the whole piece a sense of lightness. Notice the mark-making around the deer on the right, a mix of thin lines and washes that create a sense of depth. It's like the artist is inviting us to participate in the creation of this world. It reminds me a little of Odilon Redon, another artist who wasn't afraid to embrace ambiguity and let his imagination run wild. Ultimately, art is about opening up possibilities, not closing them down.