Bracelet c. 1937

William High’s ‘Bracelet’ is a delicate watercolour on paper with a repeating series of dark red flowers linked with gold lines. What a life to draw this! I see the hand of the artist carefully marking out each symmetrical flower, each petal a dark pool of colour. The flowers have little depth, but the colour is layered, as if the artist returned again and again to deepen the tone, almost like a stain. I imagine the intense concentration it must have taken to make each flower identical to the last. You know, in my work, I deliberately don't try to repeat things, I allow the hand to make marks that are uneven, intuitive, and often messy. But here, with High's bracelet, you can feel the devotion to getting it right. Perhaps High saw this act of repetition and symmetry as a kind of prayer. It reminds me of the work of other designers, artists, and craftspeople, who take inspiration from the world around them, celebrating life by creating beauty.