Fishing Boats in La Rochelle c. 1919 - 1921

Paul Signac made this drawing of fishing boats in La Rochelle with watercolor and graphite, and what strikes me is how he isn't trying to be tidy! Signac’s marks are all about capturing a feeling, and the process of trying to record it. Look at the sky, it feels like he scribbled with the side of the graphite to get these loose, atmospheric shapes. This approach gives the whole piece an open quality, like it's still in process and somehow invites you in. The watercolor is thin and washy, staining the paper with delicate hues that capture the reflections on the water. The scribbled lines almost remind me of Cy Twombly, he was another artist who had this great sense of freedom and spontaneity in their mark-making. It's like they’re less concerned with showing you something perfect, and more interested in sharing their own process. That kind of generosity, that’s what I call art!