Fashion Doll c. 1937

Gwyneth King made this watercolor drawing of a fashion doll, and what strikes me is how delicately she's handled the washes of color. There's something so tender about the way the pinks and greens bleed into each other, creating this soft, dreamlike image. I imagine Gwyneth, maybe looking back at her own childhood, thinking about the doll, thinking about how dolls are a projection of our desires and fantasies. How did she see the doll? What stories did she tell herself about her? You can almost feel her hand moving across the page, layering the colors, building up the form of the doll’s dress, and the ruffles on the sleeves and the hem of the skirt. It reminds me that painting is like a conversation, a back-and-forth between the artist and the materials. Each gesture, each mark, is a response to what came before, and a step towards something new. And it’s beautiful. It's like she's sharing a secret with us, inviting us to see the world through her eyes, and I find that so inspiring.