Chalkware Rooster c. 1940

Elmer R. Kottcamp made this chalkware rooster drawing, and what strikes me is how he allows the form to emerge through delicate washes. It's like watching something materialize from a dream. There's a real tenderness in the way he's handled the watercolor, almost as if he's caressing the form into existence. The rooster has this muted palette, earthy browns and greens, and it lends a certain humility, a gentleness. It feels less about bold pronouncements and more about quiet observation, you know? Look at the tail, those thin stripes of red, like whispers of color. I'm reminded of Charles Burchfield, his watercolors of everyday American scenes, that same attention to the overlooked. Art is like that, this ongoing conversation. This rooster’s beauty is in its imperfections, its softness. It's a reminder that art doesn't always need to shout, sometimes it can just cluck softly.