Challis Girl's Dress c. 1937

Max Fernekes made this drawing of a Challis Girl’s Dress, and what strikes me is how he’s laid down these careful marks of colour – a really muted palette of pinks, reds, and greens – in a regular grid, almost like he’s building up the image one stitch at a time. It’s so different from how I work. I usually slop on paint and then try to figure out what I’ve got. But here, Fernekes has this amazing control. Look at how the colours shift slightly, giving the fabric this subtle shimmer. You can almost feel the texture, even though it's just a drawing. The black lace trim around the collar and hem – it’s so precise, yet it softens the whole thing, makes it feel less rigid. It makes me think of some of those meticulously rendered fashion plates by Erté, but there’s something so much more modest and subdued about Fernekes's approach. It’s a reminder that there’s no one way to make art. It’s all just a conversation, and the best art leaves room for us to join in.