Winter Woodcock 1916

Archibald Thorburn made this watercolor, Winter Woodcock, in 1916, and the process is all about layering and control. Look at how he lets the white of the paper do so much work. It is winter, after all. The physical qualities of watercolor are totally different than oils or acrylics. Watercolor is all about transparency. Thorburn builds up the color in the birds’ plumage, stroke by tiny stroke. Brown on brown, on beige, on tan. When you get close, you can see each little feather implied by the dabs of the brush. The second bird is barely there, just a suggestion. It is a masterclass in economy. I think about Whistler’s atmospheric studies a little when I see this. Both artists are committed to rendering a scene in such a way that it expresses a mood, a feeling, more than a depiction of reality. The painting embraces a certain ambiguity. It’s like a memory of winter, soft, muted, and a little bit lonely.