Winter Bouquet (flowering quince, rosehaws, narcissus, winter rose and camellia) 1977

Morris Graves captured this Winter Bouquet with watercolor, conjuring the feel of a chilly, quiet day. I love how he’s arranged these winter blooms. It’s like he’s pulled together a little party of color against a muted, almost melancholic ground. I imagine Graves delicately layering washes of color, coaxing those rosehips and camellias into existence. It must have been so satisfying to see them emerge. Look how the colors bleed into each other, creating this soft, blurred effect, like a memory or a dream. It reminds me of Agnes Martin's subtle grids, or even some of Giorgio Morandi’s still lifes – a kind of meditative observation of simple forms. Graves is part of this quiet conversation, whispering about nature, beauty, and impermanence. It’s like he's saying, even in winter, there’s a fragile beauty waiting to be seen.