Drawing for Plate 8: From the Portfolio "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania" c. 1939

This anonymous drawing for Plate 8, part of the "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania" portfolio, unfolds with simple lines and a warm palette of reds, yellows, and browns. I can almost feel the hand of the artist moving across the page, carefully plotting out the composition. There’s a charming bird perched amidst blossoming branches in a pot, flanked by stylized floral motifs. It’s folk art, so it has this raw, earnest quality—not striving for perfection, but hitting at something deeply felt. I imagine the artist thinking about their garden, or maybe a beloved piece of pottery, and just letting the images flow. The textures are flat, graphic, and the color fields are clearly defined. Looking at it, I think of other self-taught artists who found beauty in the everyday, transforming it into something unique and personal. It's a good reminder that art-making is about conversation, passing ideas through time, and seeing where they land.