Bulto (Wooden Figure of Saint) 1935 - 1942

E. Boyd painted this "Bulto," or wooden figure of a saint, probably sometime in the mid-20th century. It's all watercolor and it's so sweet. I can imagine Boyd painting in layers, almost like the figure is being dressed, one stroke at a time. The saint’s got this patterned dress, with shapes like little eyes staring out, and a cloak draped around her. There's a patterned sash with blue, red, and brown. This is how a gesture can communicate something beyond just representation, right? It becomes about feeling. It’s interesting how folk art like this can be so connected to the history of painting, while also doing its own thing. Boyd obviously knew a lot about how to work with watercolor, but chose to depict the figure in a way that seems both reverent and a little bit quirky, like someone from your neighborhood. And she almost seems to be pointing at you! It makes you wonder about all the different ways of seeing and being in the world that painting opens up.