Eagle c. 1937

Flora Merchant’s ‘Eagle’ is a delicate watercolor, and if you look closely, you can really see the layers of light brown, gray and gold washes she used to build up form. I love imagining Flora at work in her studio. What was she listening to? What kind of brushes did she use? I’m thinking a very fine brush. She must have been really focused. You can almost feel the precision and control in each stroke. Look at the eagle's feathers, they are almost luminous and appear to be gently layered. There is a lot of detail here, but it doesn’t feel fussy. The overall impression is one of carefulness and skill. You can see how she carefully worked with the paint to create a sense of depth and dimension. The flags draped on either side of the eagle are also carefully rendered, adding to the overall sense of balance. Like other artists, Flora was concerned with seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world in its fullness. And she found a way to express that using paint.