Jug c. 1937

Yolande Delasser made this Jug painting with watercolor, and just look how the washes bloom on the page! The blues are so alive, a total dance of dark and light. You can almost feel the water and pigment mingling right there on the surface. It’s not about perfection, it’s about process, the joy of watching color spread and transform. The jug itself is barely there, just a ghost of a form, while the flowers take center stage, wild and free. Notice that there's also what appear to be small white dots all over the floral element which add texture and character to the piece. It reminds me of some of Marsden Hartley’s flower paintings, that same love of simple forms and bold color. Both artists seem to understand that art is a conversation, a way of seeing and feeling the world around us. And there’s always room for ambiguity, for letting the paint do its own thing.