Strood 1928

James McBey created this watercolour painting, Strood, at an unknown date. It's like a fleeting impression caught on paper. McBey’s mark-making is so immediate, a kind of shorthand for buildings, figures, and sky. The muted colors—dusty pinks, grays, and browns—create a hazy, almost dreamlike atmosphere. Look how the washes of color bleed into each other, giving the whole scene a sense of movement and transience. I’m drawn to the way the artist uses line to define form, but then lets the watercolor do its own thing, creating these soft, blurry edges. Notice the figures walking towards us; they’re just suggestions, really, a few quick strokes of the brush, yet they convey so much about the scene’s energy. It reminds me a bit of Whistler's prints, this interest in capturing a sense of place with such economy of means. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is less about perfect representation and more about feeling, and what's created in the process.