Bedstraw Basket 2006

Stefan Caltia imagined this painting, Bedstraw Basket, with oil paint and probably a brush or two. I wonder what Caltia was thinking when he painted this figure standing on a beast in the river? Maybe they are crossing the river and she is thinking about her daily life and the bird is her companion. The paint here is thin, especially in the watery surface where the artist has made horizontal strokes. The girl herself is composed of vertical strokes and the overall effect is of an intimate, personal scene with a magical quality, like a folk tale. This painterly rendering reminds me of outsider art. It brings to mind other painters, too, who create imaginary worlds. He’s adding to the conversation. I love how painting can be this embodied form of expression, where artists build on each other’s ideas, and add new perspectives. It’s never just one thing.