Baptismal Font and Stand 1939

This is Hal Blakeley’s ‘Baptismal Font and Stand’, made with what looks like watercolor on paper. It's like he's thinking through making an object, but in a drawing. I love how the colors and shapes create a rhythm, the red against the black with little creamy circles feels like a dance. The way the stand’s base splays out reminds me of the bottom of a dress. It's all very light, the marks delicate, giving a sense of something precious and handmade. The thin washes of color let the paper breathe. If you zoom in, you can see the strokes of the brush, like whispers on the surface. The top of the font has a warm, wood-like color. The whole piece has this feeling, like a folk art version of something more ornate. It makes me think of Charles Burchfield who also had this way of finding the mystical in everyday objects. There’s something so beautiful about how artists can transform something functional into something really special, playing with color and line, without the need for heavy-handed pronouncements.