Wedding Vest c. 1938

Edna Rex made this watercolor of a wedding vest sometime in the 20th century. There’s something about the way the watercolor bleeds and blends that feels so alive, like the colors are breathing on the page. Looking closely, I'm drawn to the texture of the vest, those wavy lines suggesting the nap of the fabric, a tangible, almost tactile quality. I keep thinking about how Rex must have considered the layering, the color, the tiny buttons, and the overall form. You can almost feel the weight and warmth of the vest. It reminds me of the work of Marsden Hartley, who painted ordinary objects with extraordinary feeling. Like Hartley, Rex finds beauty in the everyday, and in so doing, reminds us that art is all around us. It’s about looking and seeing and really paying attention. Ultimately, art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas that stretches across time and space.