Pa. German Plate c. 1936

William L. Antrim made this Pa. German Plate, we're not sure exactly when, using what looks like watercolour. It's got this off-kilter symmetry that feels so earnest. Look at the way the colors bleed into each other, like it’s trying to be contained, but just barely. The brown and green mix around the edges. Those colors aren’t exactly harmonious, but they’re definitely having a conversation. Notice how the strokes are visible, the artist isn't hiding the way he made the work. The more you look, the more you realize how carefully this was all considered, this isn’t slick or cool, it’s got feeling, like a kid in art class that knows what to do. It feels like it has a bit of Paul Klee in there – this looseness, this joy, this feeling of drawing. It’s a process of becoming, not just being. Art’s like that.