One painted, Wooden Candelabrum, with Dove c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin made this watercolor and graphite on paper, of a painted wooden candelabrum and dove. I’m thinking about the artist, who in my mind I’ve built up as a sort of ‘outsider artist,’ and I’m wondering what they might have been thinking as they made this artwork. I see the candelabrum with its weathered surface, the flaking paint, and the dove suspended above. I imagine the artist carefully rendering each detail, from the curve of the wooden arms to the delicate feathers of the dove. Claflin’s drawing has a quiet stillness. There's a gentle quality to the washes of color, which makes me think of the tradition of folk art, where everyday objects are imbued with a kind of spiritual significance. It also reminds me a bit of Charles Burchfield, who was good at capturing the strangeness in ordinary things. It is as if Claflin is inviting us to pause and appreciate the beauty of something simple.