Circus Wagon Figure c. 1937

Howard Weld made this drawing of a circus wagon figure using watercolor and graphite on paper, but we don't know exactly when. The way he's built up these areas of ochre and grey wash reminds me of the way a sculptor adds clay to a form. You can almost feel the artist circling the object, trying to capture the light as it catches the curves of the figure’s drapery. There’s a real sense of movement and depth in the way the colors blend into one another, how the edges of the figure are left a little fuzzy around the edges. It's as if the artist is trying to capture something fleeting and ephemeral in a medium that is typically used to create a more static image. There's something about the soft, muted tones of Weld's color palette that reminds me of the work of Milton Avery, or maybe even Marsden Hartley. Like them, Weld seems to be interested in capturing the essence of a thing, rather than simply representing its outward appearance. It's the kind of art that invites you to slow down and really look, to appreciate the subtle nuances of color, light, and form.