Red Table, Brown Jug 2009

Mary Fedden made this still life in 2009, and what strikes me is how she's not trying to trick you. Look at that confident red table! It's like she laid down the color first and then arranged her objects, each one a little quirky. The brown jug, seashell, feather and stones feel very solid, but the paint is laid on in thin washes, almost like watercolor. See how the red bleeds through, especially around the edges? It creates this fantastic glowing effect. And that feather, floating on the red table, it feels like a thought, a light touch, in the midst of this grounded scene. It reminds me a little of Milton Avery, with its playful shapes and bold colors. There's a lightness here, a sense of joy in the simple act of looking and painting. It’s not about perfection, but about embracing the messy, beautiful process of seeing the world.