Squirrel c. 1940

Beatrice DeKalb’s watercolor on paper, "Squirrel," presents a playful study of color and form. Imagine the artist's hand moving across the paper, coaxing the squirrel into existence with gentle strokes. You can almost feel the give and take of the brush, the wetness of the pigment on the page. I wonder what DeKalb was thinking as she mixed those earthy greens and soft grays? Was she trying to capture a fleeting moment of nature, or was she more interested in the abstract qualities of the composition? The beauty of painting is that it allows for both, inviting the viewer to project their own thoughts and feelings onto the work. Look at that little red dab by the squirrel's mouth. It’s like a tiny burst of energy. Details like that remind me that painting is as much about the small moments as it is about the bigger picture. Artists are constantly learning from each other, building on the ideas and techniques of those who came before. Each brushstroke is a conversation with the past and a step toward the future.