Dormice 1903

Archibald Thorburn captured these dormice with delicate precision in a watercolour. Can you see how the act of painting itself invites us into their tiny, twiggy world? I can almost feel the artist leaning in, holding their breath as they mixed the precise shade of caramel for the dormice fur. The paint is so thin, so transparent, it practically glows. Look at the way each stroke of the brush builds up the form, creating a soft, almost fuzzy texture. I bet Thorburn was thinking about detail, and accuracy. There's a real tenderness in this work. Painting like this, it's about seeing, really seeing. Thorburn invites us to pause, to appreciate the quiet beauty of these creatures. In so doing, we're invited to consider our own conversation with nature.