Doll with China Head 1935 - 1942

Mary Fitzgerald’s "Doll with China Head" is a world of delicate watercolor washes on paper, a labor of love and observation. I can imagine Mary absorbed in the details, carefully rendering the doll’s dress, each red and black polka dot a testament to her focus. I wonder if it's a portrait of a beloved toy, or a tender meditation on childhood itself? The slight awkwardness of the figure, those stiff little legs, gives it an honest, almost raw feeling. Mary's work reminds me of other self-taught artists, who bring an unvarnished vision to their art. It’s like she’s having a conversation with them, across time, each brushstroke an echo of the other's creative explorations. There’s something really special in that kind of connection. It tells us that art-making is a constant exchange of ideas, a way of seeing and understanding the world that keeps evolving.