Copper Cock Weather Vane 1935 - 1942

Harriette Gale made this watercolor of a 'Copper Cock Weather Vane.' Just imagine her, brush in hand, trying to capture the metallic sheen, the way the light glances off the copper, turning it almost blue-green. I can picture her, squinting, really looking, trying to figure out how to make flat paint look like something three-dimensional. There's a kind of tenderness in how she's rendered each segment of the cock's tail, with these thin stripes of orangey-red. You can sense her attention to detail, her patience. It's like she's tracing the form, feeling it out, trying to understand the essence of this proud, perky rooster. It makes you think about all the other artists who've looked at things closely, trying to capture a fleeting moment, a certain light, or the spirit of a subject. Each brushstroke is a little conversation, a little nod to the artists who came before, and a little invitation to those who will follow.