Boot 1938

Eugene C. Miller made this drawing of a boot, with what I imagine were simple watercolors and paper. I love how the object is presented almost as a portrait; the creases in the leather are like wrinkles on a face. It looks like Miller worked wet-on-wet, letting the colors bleed and blend, which adds to that sense of softness. See how the brown deepens around the toe and heel? That's where the boot would meet the ground, where it would show the most wear. It's like the painting is absorbing the experience of the boot, all of the textures and tones melding into a single, compelling image. This reminds me a little of Philip Guston's late paintings, where everyday objects take on a monumental quality. Both artists transform something ordinary into something profound through close observation and a sense of playful exaggeration. Ultimately, art is about seeing the world anew, finding the extraordinary in the everyday.