Medicine Lesson 2020

Daria Theodora made this watercolor fantasy, "Medicine Lesson," sometime in the 20th century, and it’s all about process. Look at the layering: delicate washes building into more intense hues, like she's letting the medium itself guide her. There's a real push-pull between control and chance in Theodora's handling of the watercolor. It’s light, airy, almost translucent in places, then dense and saturated in others. The color palette is mostly purples and oranges, which gives off a magical vibe. Notice the way she renders the wispy clouds or smoke around the central figure: see how the pigment bleeds at the edges, creating these soft, ethereal forms? It’s as if the medium is breathing. That element of chance and improvisation reminds me of Arthur Rackham, who created similarly fantastical and whimsical scenes in his illustrations. Art's like a conversation across time, you know? It’s about listening to what’s come before, then adding your own voice to the mix. And ultimately, it’s not about fixed meanings, but about opening up possibilities.