Bulto c. 1938

Majel G. Claflin painted this small artwork called 'Bulto' in Taos, New Mexico, sometime before 1941. The surface has a chalky, matte quality, and it feels like she built up the image slowly, layering thin washes of browns, grays, and creams. You can almost see her squinting, trying to capture the way light wraps around the wooden sculpture. I wonder if she felt a connection to the anonymous artist who carved the original bulto? Did she try to channel their spirit as she painted? The slight awkwardness of the rendering, the way the beard juts out, gives it a lot of character. It reminds me that artists are always in conversation with each other, borrowing, responding, and transforming ideas across time. I think painting, in particular, is about embracing that kind of open-ended exchange.