Eagle and Stars Bedspread 1935 - 1942

Marian Curtis Foster made this delicate bedspread design with watercolor and graphite on paper. The composition, with its central eagle surrounded by stars and floral motifs, reminds me of folk art traditions, where process is everything. Look at the restrained palette – soft blues, pinks, and creams – and how they interact. The paint application is so thin, almost translucent. The texture of the paper is visible, adding a tactile quality to the image, inviting touch through sight. Notice the blue vine that frames the composition. Each leaf is carefully placed, creating a rhythmic pattern. It’s this kind of attention to detail that suggests a meditative, almost devotional approach to artmaking. The simple forms and the delicate washes remind me of the work of Agnes Martin, whose subtle grids share a similar kind of quiet intensity. Ultimately, this bedspread design is not just an image, but an invitation to slow down, to appreciate the small details, and to find beauty in the everyday.