Hitching Post c. 1938

George File's *Hitching Post* seems to have emerged stroke by stroke from a limited, moody palette. It's like he's coaxing the figure out of the surface, building it with layers of blues and reds against a neutral ground. I imagine George leaning into the work, maybe squinting a bit, trying to capture the essence of this character—a kind of everyman in miniature, caught between worlds with his blue skin and ruddy cheeks. You can almost feel him playing with the paint, letting it drip and pool. He might be channeling his inner Henri Rousseau, pulling inspiration from the everyday, but giving it his own twist. Painters are always in conversation, right? We borrow, steal, and transform. It's a constant exchange, like echoes bouncing through time. In this piece, the uncertainty in the artist's hand is embraced. There's a freedom in not knowing exactly where you’re going, allowing the painting to surprise you, and ultimately, invite us into its wonderfully strange world.