Pa. German Fractur 1935 - 1942

Elmer R. Kottcamp made this watercolour, Pa. German Fractur, with paper and watercolour, but when? I imagine him at his table, building the composition bit by bit, starting with the vase – red and yellow horizontal strokes like a heartbeat, and then the bouquet explodes out of it. The painting expands, unfurls. I wonder if he knew where it would end up, this world of birds and flowers! The texture of the paper gives the colours a soft, diffused quality; there's a feeling of gentle, playful observation. I'm drawn to the border that Elmer made, a clean, bright yellow frame that contains all the abundance. This border is not unlike the work of other folk artists. Doesn't it make you think about all the ways people make pictures to think about the world, and the way artists are always looking at each other's work across time? It's all one big conversation, inspiring each other to see and feel and make.