A Tree Full of Birds 2 1979

Victor Pasmore made this image of blue shapes, ‘A Tree Full of Birds 2’, maybe using gouache or a thin acrylic. It’s all about the process; the way the paint moves and pools on the surface. Look at that central mass of blue, like a cloud but also like water, with a sort of tidal ebb and flow of pigment. The paint is translucent in places, almost like a watercolor wash, and in others, it's more opaque, with a chalky quality. You can see how Pasmore let the paint do its thing, embracing the drips and the way the colors blend. The shapes around the edges feel more deliberate, but even they have a softness, a give-and-take. There's a playful energy here, a kind of freedom. It reminds me a bit of Joan Miró's work. Both artists share this sense of improvisation and experimentation, this willingness to let the painting lead the way, and to let art be a conversation that never ends.