Pa. German Birth Certificate c. 1939

This Pennsylvania German birth certificate was made with watercolor and ink. You can see the hand of the artist in every little line, every gentle curve. It’s the kind of piece that reminds you that art is as much about doing as it is about results. I love how the heart, front and center, is built from layers of color – red, blue, yellow – like the world in miniature. There’s a tenderness in the way the colors bleed into each other, nothing too harsh, all gentle. It gives a sense of warmth, like a loving embrace. The surface is matte, and the colors are muted; a real contrast to the digital world we live in today. This certificate reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint, though worlds apart. Both artists share an interest in the hidden orders of the world, a desire to map the unseen through color and symbol. To me, art is a conversation across time. Each artist speaks, listens, and answers back with their own unique voice.