Billethead c. 1936

Lucille Chabot made this watercolor of a 'Billethead,' sometime in the 20th century. It's a close-up view, with the artist really taking her time to render each swirling line and subtle shift in tone. I think she enjoyed the methodical process. The surface is fairly smooth and the colors are muted, but they give a real sense of depth. It makes me think about the way she looked at the world, carefully observing and recreating the contours of her subject. There's a section towards the right where the wood seems to break, it's carefully observed and has it's own beauty. Her process reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin, in the sense of using repetition and subtle variation to create something meditative and beautiful. Like her, Chabot seems less interested in making grand statements and more interested in celebrating the simple beauty of observation.