The white gum 1923

Hans Heysen's watercolor, "The White Gum," captures a scene with incredible light and airy washes. The process here seems so key. Look at the way the watercolor bleeds and blooms, creating these soft, dreamy textures. The white of the paper shines through in places, adding to the luminosity. There's this incredible balance between control and chance; Heysen is clearly guiding the brush, but also letting the water do its thing. Notice that one stroke right there, on the left side of the main tree. The way the blue and brown blend together – it’s like a little microcosm of the whole painting. It reminds me of some of John Singer Sargent's landscapes, with that same sense of immediacy and plein air painting. But Heysen brings his own sensibility, a kind of quiet reverence for the Australian landscape. Ultimately, it’s a conversation between the artist, the medium, and the world around us, full of happy accidents and unexpected turns.