Bathers 1928

Koshiro Onchi made this watercolor of bathers. I love the way that the colors are like feelings, not descriptions. Look at the blue, how it pools and puddles like it's alive! It reminds me that paintings aren't just flat things; they're built up, layer by layer, just like thoughts. And see how the yellow figure on the left is almost more of an idea of a body than a real one? The forms are so simplified, almost cartoonish, but not quite. I’m reminded of Milton Avery who used color in a similar way to create mood and atmosphere. It's like Onchi is saying, "Here's a world, but it's my world, seen through my eyes, and I'm not afraid to mess with it a little." It’s not about perfection; it’s about the journey, the exploration, and the sheer joy of putting paint on paper.