Silk Patchwork Quilt c. 1936

This is Florence Elizabeth Atkins's "Silk Patchwork Quilt," made with graphite and watercolor on paper. Look at the sheer number of marks Atkins uses to construct this image! It’s a real testament to process. The surface is absolutely covered with tiny, colorful cubes—blues, reds, yellows—each outlined in graphite. The density of these marks creates a shimmering effect, like light reflecting off a real quilt. There's a diamond shape, left blank, that breaks up the pattern. It's like a little window or a pause in the visual rhythm. Atkins’ approach reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin, in the sense of meditative repetition, or even Paul Klee, in the delicate use of color and line. But Atkins brings her own unique sensibility, turning the humble quilt into a complex field of vision. It’s a piece that invites slow looking, a chance to get lost in the details.