Carpet c. 1936

George Loughridge made this design for a carpet with watercolor, and it's like a little garden blooming on paper. You can see how the colors layer, building up the forms of the flowers and leaves with tiny, deliberate marks. Looking closely, it's fascinating to see how Loughridge builds the texture. The brushstrokes are so precise, they mimic the weave of a carpet, adding a tactile quality to the image. Notice the deep red background, how it almost vibrates with the light pinks and greens. The eye bounces around the composition, discovering new details and color combinations each time. It reminds me a bit of the work of designers like William Morris, who were also inspired by nature. Art is just such an ongoing conversation, isn't it?