Shop Figure - Child c. 1937

Beverly Chichester made this watercolor painting of a shop figure, ‘Child’ at some point in the 20th century. I imagine Chichester carefully layering washes of muted blues and reds, letting the colors bloom and mingle on the page, constructing a simple image of a carved wooden sculpture. The paint is thin, allowing the paper's texture to peek through, giving the whole image a delicate, airy feel. I wonder if she had fun bringing this little figure to life on paper? It is very subtle, but it is a little bit mischievous too. I think of Fairfield Porter, another painter of the everyday, finding beauty in quiet observation. Artists are always in conversation, you know, echoing and riffing off each other's ideas across time. The interesting thing about painting is the way it embraces ambiguity, allowing for all sorts of readings and meanings.