1960 (ca.), Alma Thomas, Winter Shadows [watercolor] -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)

In 1971, the photojournalist Ida Jervis wrote of Alma Thomas's house on 15th Street NW in Washington, DC:

 

"In her living room... a bay window opens to the street. A holly tree grows across the window, and in and through its branches, she sees compositions for paintings. The wind, as it moves through the tree, aids in the search for design, and the leaves form and re-form new masses of shapes. The light and dark greens shimmer within the window's frame, which acts as a border for these compositions."

 

This may have been one such painting. Thomas used a wet brush to lay down the watercolors -- black, yellow, teal, green, peach, and purple -- and sometimes blended the colors on the page. Later she added drips and lines in black ink to suggest branches and to give structure to the image.

Done