Wedding Garter c. 1938

Syrena Swanson made this painting, Wedding Garter, with watercolor, on paper. I love how the garter seems to be floating on the page. I imagine Syrena Swanson experimenting with the translucence of the watercolor, finding a sense of lightness. The material has been rendered with parallel lines giving it texture and form. I wonder if Syrena Swanson was thinking about the history of wedding traditions when she made this work. What did the garter represent to her? The floral details are so sweet. I can feel Syrena Swanson celebrating the occasion through painting. The act of painting itself becomes a way to honor the traditions of love and marriage. I know that, for me, the act of making something, whatever it is, is my way of showing that I care. Painting is this ongoing exchange, right? We’re all looking at each other's work across time, riffing, and building on each other's ideas. Syrena Swanson’s painting is like a visual poem, leaving us to bring our own experiences to it.