Watercolor Design c. 1937

Albert Levone created this Watercolor Design on paper, and what strikes me is the combination of careful symmetry and delightfully wonky execution. It's like he set up a formal garden and then let nature – or maybe just a little mischief – take over. Look at the texture in those birds' feathers, a bumpy green, set against the smoother washes of their necks. There’s a real push-pull there, a tension between control and letting go. I love the way the lines aren't perfect, the colors bleed just a bit, it's this imperfection that gives the piece so much life. The little red fan on the left bird is so playful and weird that I feel a kinship with the artist, it feels like something I would do. This embrace of slight awkwardness reminds me a bit of some of Henry Darger’s work, that same sense of an inner world made visible with an unapologetic hand, and maybe outsider art in general. It's a reminder that art isn't always about flawless technique, it's often about expressing something deeply personal, even if it's a little bit strange.