Riding Boot c. 1936

Dorothy Gernon made this drawing of a riding boot in watercolor and graphite. I love how Dorothy’s process feels so exploratory, like she’s trying to figure out the boot by drawing it. The boot itself is so precise, colored in with black and brown watercolors to show the curve and sheen of the leather. Then, to the left, there’s a ghostly pencil sketch of the shoe form as if it's a memory of the object. It’s interesting to me that there are two versions of the boot, one present and one past, both hanging out on the same picture plane. I wonder if Dorothy was thinking about the different ways of seeing things, not just boots but everything in the world? It reminds me how painters are always in conversation, trying to capture these fleeting visions and inspire each other.