Design from a Proposed Portfolio 1935 - 1942

Majel G. Claflin created this design for a proposed portfolio using gouache, probably sometime in the early 20th century. Look at these colours! Soft yellows, deep blues, reds. It's a really interesting combination, and you can see how the artist is exploring different colour pairings through the different floral motifs. The gouache gives the images a beautiful matte surface, almost like velvet. And notice how the artist has allowed the brushstrokes to be visible, giving the design a real sense of immediacy and energy, as if it was made in one sitting. The petals on the bottom right, for instance. They’re not perfect, and that’s what I love about them. It's the kind of mark that makes you want to pick up a brush yourself. This piece reminds me a little of the work of Hilma af Klint, but in a totally different register. Both were interested in pattern and design, and both saw artmaking as a process of discovery. Art is a conversation, right?