Hooked Rug c. 1936

This is "Hooked Rug", a small watercolor on paper by Ruth Barnes, who lived from 1855 to 1995. What strikes me here is the way that Ruth Barnes has captured the textural, tactile quality of a hooked rug with just watercolour. The individual marks are so suggestive of loops of yarn. There's a real joy in the process of making here, you can feel it. I love the colour palette too – these reds and greens and oranges, a balance of warm and cool colours, all laid down with such care and precision. Take a look at how each little 'loop' is rendered, it's not flat colour; there are subtle variations of tone within each individual mark, and that is what gives the image its depth and volume. The way the colours vibrate against each other! For me, it's not just a representation of a hooked rug, but an exploration of how colours interact and create new visual experiences. It reminds me a little of the pointillist paintings of Seurat, but with a folksy, homespun twist. I feel an affinity for this work. It’s an invitation to slow down and notice the beauty in the everyday.