Dress c. 1940

Lester Kausch's "Dress" is made on paper with watercolor and graphite. There's something so delicate about the way Kausch has rendered this dress. The pastel palette, dominated by pinks and whites, gives it a soft, ethereal quality. The small floral patterns are almost like confetti, each mark carefully placed, building up the form of the dress. It's like a dance of intuition, with each stroke finding its place in the overall composition. I can imagine Kausch studying the way light falls on fabric, how folds and gathers create subtle shifts in tone. Maybe he was thinking about the wearer of this dress, or perhaps he was just captivated by the dress's shape. It feels so personal, like a quiet moment captured on paper. Kausch's work reminds me that painting is not just about representation, but also about feeling, intuition, and the sheer joy of mark-making. We’re all always in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring each other.