Earrings and Brooch c. 1937

Tulita Westfall made this drawing of earrings and brooches, we don't know when or where, but it doesn't really matter, because the work is so full of life. Look at how she must have studied these objects, probably for hours, or at least imagined them as she built them up on the page, one delicate stroke at a time. I am just mesmerized by how she has translated the three-dimensional object to the page. You can almost feel her excitement as she layers the paint, building up the highlights and shadows. Each piece feels like a little world unto itself, radiating warmth and intricacy. I'm really thinking about the time in which she was working, and I'm wondering if she thought about what they would become or how they would exist beyond her careful crafting. Her process is such a testament to the power of observation and imagination, and it reminds us of the ongoing conversation between artists across time.