Eagle c. 1937

Alice Domey made this watercolour of an eagle, sometime in the 20th century, with a lot of attention paid to surface and texture. You can tell she understood artmaking as a process of translation. There is something so intriguing about the way Domey renders the materiality of the object. The eagle itself is depicted with a kind of cross-hatched pattern that mimics the carved surface of the original sculpture. This gives a real sense of depth, almost as if you could reach out and touch it, feel the grain of the wood under your fingertips. The wings are so fascinating. Each feather is carefully delineated, creating a rhythmic pattern across the picture plane. It reminds me of Guston, who took such joy in making art from everyday objects. The beauty of art is it’s not about fixed meanings. Domey's eagle is an invitation, a call to explore the endless possibilities of seeing and feeling.