Marquetry Table, Showing Style c. 1937

This is Geoffrey Holt's "Marquetry Table, Showing Style," rendered with watercolor. Looking at it, I'm struck by Holt's careful, almost loving, attention to detail. The way he’s handled the watercolor reminds me of printmaking, with thin, transparent layers building up to describe the table's form. The color palette is restrained, mostly browns and creams, giving a sense of warmth. See how Holt uses the wash to create the shadows, letting the light define the curves of the legs? It’s quite skillful. I love the way he's captured the wood grain of the tabletop, this little area becomes an abstract landscape, full of swirls and eddies. It's a piece about observation, about really seeing the world around us, and transforming that vision into art. It's kind of old school, but it reminds me a bit of some of Ed Ruscha's work in its deadpan quality. Art's just an ongoing conversation, isn't it?