"Juggling" Marionette c. 1936

This is James McLellan's "Juggling" Marionette, a watercolour painting. Look closely and you’ll see how the washes of color really bring the wooden puppet to life. The watery paint seems to flow like the juggling motion itself. I love how McLellan hasn't tried to hide the process. You can see the brushstrokes, the way the colors bleed into each other. It's honest, like the puppet’s raw, wooden construction. Notice the texture in the green suit, achieved with layers of thin, transparent washes. It gives the fabric a sense of depth, almost like you could reach out and feel it. And what about that ghostly second head floating up there? Is it a discarded design? Or a nod to the multiple personalities a puppeteer gives their creation? It makes me think of Red Grooms and his playful, theatrical aesthetic. Art doesn't need to be so serious; it can be playful, ambiguous, and full of questions.