Colonial Wash Stand c. 1937

Florence Truelson made this watercolor drawing of a Colonial Wash Stand, and you can see how the painting itself almost becomes a stage where she, as the artist, could work out an idea. I wonder what it was like for her making it. What was she thinking when she put the pale yellow of the interior shelves against the ruddy-brown of the wood? Did she choose green for the top and the supporting columns because it was a popular colour, or did she just like the way it looked? I’m taken by the marbling effect that she evokes with thin layers of translucent paint, as it gives the impression of great depth. You can feel the touch of the brush, the careful application of each layer, and the artist's attention to detail. It reminds me that all artists are in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas and inspiring one another's creativity across time. Painting is an embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty and allowing for multiple interpretations.