Carved Wooden Eagle c. 1939

This watercolor of a carved wooden eagle was created by Robert Gilson, who was born in 1855 and died in 1995. Looking at how Gilson has used line, it's clear that this isn't about photographic accuracy. It’s more about the act of representation, of giving form to an idea of an eagle. I love how the washes of brown and white bleed into one another, creating a sense of depth and texture. There’s a real physicality to the way the feathers are rendered, each stroke building up to create a complex surface. Look at the beak, see how the sharp, dark lines give it such a formidable presence, but then notice the softness around the eye – it’s like Gilson is inviting us to see the eagle as both powerful and vulnerable. This piece reminds me of some folk art I’ve seen, there’s a similar kind of directness. Like the artist is speaking to you without any pretense. It’s this raw honesty that makes the artwork so compelling. Art’s not always about perfection, sometimes it’s about the energy and the feeling that comes through.