Side Panel of a Fire Engine c. 1938

Elmer G. Anderson made this drawing for a fire engine side panel sometime in the 20th century, using a pretty subdued palette of browns and blues. It’s all about process here, a real dedication to the design, and the labour of artmaking itself. Looking at it, you can see the ghost of the artist in the texture, in the way the colours are laid down. The paint is thin, transparent in places. You can almost see the hand of the artist moving across the surface. Take for example, the folds of the women's garments. Notice how they aren't just shapes, but lines with a life of their own, almost vibrating against the page. The physicality of the medium, the way it catches the light, it’s all part of the emotional punch of the piece. This drawing reminds me a little bit of Marsden Hartley, and those amazing, simple, folk-art inspired images that he made. There’s a similar interest in American subjects, and a similar commitment to the process of mark-making. Ultimately, it is this emphasis on the process of artmaking that makes both artists so interesting to me.