Sun Bonnet c. 1938

Wilford H. Shurtliff made this lovely ‘Sun Bonnet’ sometime in his life with what looks like watercolor on paper. The whole thing’s like a soft cloud of blue. It’s really about the layers of transparency he’s using and the subtle variations in tone, building up depth and form in a way that feels both delicate and precise. Notice how the ruffles are described with such control, and how the ribbons at the bottom seem to dance and float on the surface of the paper! That darker bit, right at the back, the crumpled crown of the bonnet, is fascinating. It's just a flurry of darker blues, a real contrast to the smoother areas. It's where the painting feels most alive, most unresolved, and it gives the whole image a real jolt. Shurtliff’s work reminds me a bit of Fairfield Porter, someone who also found beauty in the everyday and wasn’t afraid to let the paint do its thing! What a conversation those two would have had.