Apron (Detail) c. 1936

This is Lillian Causey's "Apron (Detail)", made using ink and watercolor on paper, and it's a real charmer. The all-over pink feels delicate, but the way it's applied, kind of watery and uneven, gives it a toughness. Look closely at those lines – scratchy, dotted, and imperfect, they remind me of textile design. It feels like Causey is thinking about how a pattern might be made, stitch by stitch. The leaves and stems, drawn with such care, give the piece an intimate feel. It's as though Causey is sharing a secret world, one made from the simplest materials. This piece reminds me a little of Forrest Bess. He was another artist who embraced imperfection and intuition. Like Bess, Causey shows us that art isn't about perfection, but about the messy, beautiful process of bringing something new into the world. It’s this quality that opens the space of imagination around the work.