Flag: Civil War c. 1936

Edward Grant made this watercolor of a flag, sometime during his lifetime, which stretched from 1855 to 1995. You can see the way the red paint bleeds just a little into the white stripes. And the blue field, with those almost clumsily drawn stars! It’s not perfect, but that’s what I like about it. There's something so touching about the handmade quality here. The slight imperfections and irregularities, they give the flag a kind of vulnerable, human feel. Look at the inscription, “Red Lion Mounted Guard.” Maybe Grant was a member of this group? It suggests a story, a community, a whole world we can only imagine. It reminds me of the work of Forrest Bess, another artist who wasn’t formally trained. Both artists share a similar kind of directness and sincerity that can be so powerful. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be slick or polished to be meaningful.