Ecclesiastical Vestment c. 1937

Syrena Swanson made this watercolor painting of an Ecclesiastical Vestment, but we don't know when. Look at the way those earth-toned bands frame the central panel and straps. It’s all so orderly, so contained. The vestment itself feels like a canvas waiting to be worn! I imagine Swanson carefully building up those layers of color, each stroke considered, each decision a step towards completion. But then, there’s the delightful floral design stitched into the middle. It feels personal, intimate, and almost like a secret garden blooming right there on the cloth. It speaks of growth and renewal, and maybe Swanson was thinking about something like that, about adding life and beauty where it might be least expected. Swanson, like all artists, was in conversation with the past, borrowing and building upon ideas, transforming them into something new. And that’s the beauty of art, right? It’s not just about what you see, but about the endless possibilities that lie beneath the surface.