Printed Cotton 1938

J. Howard Iams made this "Printed Cotton" drawing, we don’t know exactly when, using watercolor and graphite on paper. The overall feeling is delicate; it’s easy to imagine the artist carefully layering each colour. There’s something so satisfying about a pattern design – the way a motif repeats, shifts, and creates a rhythm. Look at the central floral panel. See how the larger roses anchor the design, while the smaller blossoms scatter around them like confetti? The artist's hand is evident, in the slight variations in each flower, that show the process. It reminds me of the work of William Morris, who also embraced the beauty of nature. Yet, Iams brings a lighter, more whimsical touch to his designs, maybe that’s the watercolors. Art is always speaking to art, isn’t it?