Doll Bed c. 1937

Dana Bartlett made this watercolor drawing of a doll in a doll bed, and it’s got that delicate, precise feeling of another time. I’m imagining Dana carefully laying down each wash of color, slowly building up the details. She’s capturing the light on that ornate, cast-iron doll bed, then carefully laying down the colorful patchwork quilt, just so. I get the sense of Dana’s complete absorption with the task at hand. It’s like she’s entering the dream world of the doll, creating this little stage set. Maybe the doll is sleeping off a fever? What are her dreams? It’s like Bartlett is having a conversation with another artist and saying, “Hey, look what I made. What do you think?” We build on each other’s work, artists in this never-ending, awesome conversation. It’s all about that shared creative energy, that buzz.