Doll c. 1939

John Sullivan made this drawing of a doll, we don’t know exactly when, but you can see the process in his choice of understated, earthy tones. The real magic here is the way Sullivan captures the essence of a wooden doll with a humble palette and precise lines. He builds form with subtle shading, creating a sense of volume and depth on the page, it’s like he's carving with his pencil. If you look closely, you can see the texture of the wood, the grain, and the little imperfections that give the doll its character. And that single, simple line of the mouth, so gentle, it gives the whole piece its quiet emotional charge. This piece reminds me of the work of Joseph Yoakum, another artist who found beauty in simplicity and created worlds with just a few marks. Both artists show us that art is not about perfection, but about seeing and feeling.