Tin & Wall Paper Cross c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin made this *Tin & Wall Paper Cross* with watercolor and graphite on paper, and what strikes me is the simple beauty of her approach. Look at how she’s created the illusion of light and shadow, using just a few pale grays to give the tin a 3D effect. It’s a delicate operation, like trying to catch a sunbeam. There’s something so charming about the wallpaper sections, with their repeated pattern of pink flowers and green foliage on a yellow ground. It’s as if Claflin wanted to capture not just the object, but the feeling of home. The physical surface of the paper is smooth, but she’s used her materials to evoke the textures of tin and paper, light and pattern. Notice how the graphite seems to bleed ever so slightly, softening the edges and creating a hazy atmosphere. It feels almost dreamlike, as if we’re seeing the cross through a veil of memory. This reminds me a bit of the quiet observations in Agnes Martin’s work. Both artists share an interest in the beauty of simple forms and the poetry of everyday life. It’s a reminder that art is not just about grand statements, but also about the subtle nuances of seeing and feeling.