Man's Beaded Taffeta Necktie 1935 - 1942

Verna Tallman made this lovely watercolor, Man's Beaded Taffeta Necktie, on paper. The artist is clearly delighting in the taffeta of the tie and the details of the beading. It’s kind of an obsessive act, right? To paint something like this. The color is so rich. That indigo blue is pulled and stretched, like the fabric. You can see the give and take in her marks. I wonder, did she work from life? The edges are defined by the color seeping away as a watery stain. Then there are the beads, she painted each and every one. Look at the beaded parts. Those shapes are echoed throughout the work, as though they grow organically into crosses or flowers. Painting, like beading, is slow and meditative, it’s a chance to really see. I am reminded of the work of Ree Morton, she also enjoyed obsessing over the detail of everyday objects and their hidden beauty. The whole thing is about enjoying the process of making, rather than needing to arrive at a finished idea.