Earrings and Brooch c. 1937

Tulita Westfall made this vibrant painting of earrings and brooches, and what strikes me first is the precision, but not a cold, calculated precision, more like a loving attention to detail. The way the gold shimmers, it's almost as if she's building up the image dot by dot, with layer upon layer. Each small circle is rendered with different strokes that seem to dance around it, with the addition of highlights. See how the paint is meticulously applied, creating a textural richness that makes you want to reach out and touch it. And the color palette is so warm and inviting, with rich gold tones offset by the soft paper. This piece reminds me of the drawings of Hilma af Klint, where the process itself becomes a kind of meditation. There's an ambiguity here, like, is this just a document of some real jewelry, or is it something else, something symbolic or personal? The way that Westfall has approached the project with this intense level of care and attention asks you to reflect on these questions and to contemplate the role of craft and beauty.