Rain 1989

Howard Hodgkin made this painting, *Rain*, with oil on board, but when is anyone’s guess! I like how Hodgkin lets the brushstrokes be visible, like they're little clues to the painting's history. The colours too are really something. It's not exactly realistic, but it feels like a memory of a rainy day, all blurred and dreamy. Look at that bold stroke of blue, kind of cascading down. It’s so present, so physical. It almost seems to push the other colours around. It's like he's not just representing rain, but also the feeling of rain, the way it distorts our vision and heightens our senses. I'm also reminded of another painter, Joan Mitchell, with her big, gestural marks, finding a way to channel emotions into pure colour and form. These paintings remind us that art is less about perfect representation, and more about opening up a space for feeling and thinking.