Wooden Santo in Bright Green Dress 1935 - 1942

Majel G. Claflin made this painting of a wooden santo, we don't know exactly when, using watercolor and graphite on paper. It's like she's showing us not just the figure, but also the *making* of the figure. Look at that vibrant green, scrubbed onto the paper! It's not trying to trick you into thinking it *is* the green dress; instead, it's a playful, painterly green. The texture, created by layering the watercolor, gives it a kind of raw energy. There’s something about the way the paint sits on the surface, almost vibrating, that gets me thinking about how Claflin wasn't trying to hide the process. The slightly visible graphite lines underneath show the underlying structure of the composition, revealing the artist's hand. I see echoes of folk art traditions here, where the spirit of the subject matters more than perfect representation. Think about someone like Bill Traylor, who similarly embraced simplicity and directness in his work. It reminds me that art isn’t about answers; it’s about keeping the conversation going.