Costume Doll c. 1938

Al Curry made this watercolor and graphite drawing, called "Costume Doll", sometime in the 20th century. It's fascinating how the softness of the watercolors gives the doll a dreamlike quality. Look at how Curry renders the fabric, especially the skirt, with gentle washes of pink and the bodice with light blue. The colors aren’t blended perfectly, you can see the individual strokes, which adds to the handmade feel. There's a raw honesty in the way the doll is depicted, with a focus on simple shapes and forms. The way the hands and feet are rendered are quite literal, but for me, that only adds to the charm. It reminds me of the work of Bill Traylor, in that it uses simple shapes and colors to depict the world in a way that is both straightforward and deeply personal. Ultimately, it is art like this that reminds us that there are many ways of seeing, and that the most interesting art often comes from a place of pure, unadulterated expression.