Sperry Gardens c. 1936

George Stonehill made this drawing, Sperry Gardens, with watercolor and graphite. It’s a lovely plan, a bird’s eye view of a garden, but it's also kind of a dreamscape. I find myself wondering about the artist and his process. Was he carefully mapping out a real space, or was he improvising, letting the shapes and colors guide him? I can see him there, delicately applying washes of pale green, carefully outlining the flower beds in earthy pinks. The texture of the paper peeks through, giving the whole thing a slightly faded, vintage feel. The little graphite marks that make up the trees and flowers seem so intentional. It's a reminder that all painters are gardeners in a way, cultivating ideas, nurturing marks, and letting things grow in unexpected directions. Stonehill, like many other artists, has shown us a particular way of seeing and thinking about the world. It’s up to us to keep the conversation going.