"Dog Toby" Hand Puppet c. 1936

Dorothy Brennan painted this ‘Dog Toby’ hand puppet, we don’t know when, but it seems like a kind of affectionate study. The colours are muted, as if remembered, and the brushwork loose and gestural. It’s a painting about the character of a thing, rather than a description. Looking closely, I love how the black of the puppet’s sleeve is built up with visible strokes, it’s not trying to trick us into thinking it’s velvet or anything, it's paint! Then there’s that mouth, red and wet-looking, and those staring eyes – a perfect balance of cute and creepy. This makes me think about Red Grooms, who also loved to make art about everyday things. Both artists remind us that art can be found anywhere, in the simplest of objects, and that it's all about how you see it. There’s something very democratic about that, don't you think?