Man's Shoe 1935 - 1942

Gladys Cook made this watercolor, titled "Man's Shoe," at an unknown date. Look closely, and you'll see the artist’s process laid bare. The lines are confident, and yet there's a fragility to the washes of color that let the paper breathe. It feels immediate. There’s something about the texture of the shoe, almost velvety, that draws me in. Cook uses deep, saturated blacks and grays, but never lets them sit flat. The light catches on the ridges and folds, giving the shoe a sculptural quality. The heel has this playful hint of red that animates the whole composition. It looks like the artist had fun making this, and that's contagious. The unfinished sketches hovering in the background also add to the piece's charm. They remind me of Guston’s late works, where process and form feel equally important. Ultimately, this piece is less about the shoe itself and more about the joy of seeing, feeling, and making.