Needle Book 1935 - 1942

This is a watercolor on paper of a needle book, made by Barnes, who lived from 1855 to 1995. The shapes! The colors! It's like Barnes was making something, unmaking it, and remaking it again. I can imagine them, sitting at their table, turning their needle book around and around, trying different configurations. There's a big, dark rectangle like a blackboard, and some flowers around the edge, and a smaller needle book in the upper corner like a little ghost. I love the way the Barnes uses pinks and purples against the dark ground. The ribbons are especially great, they look soft and floppy and delicious, as if they could be pulled off the page. It reminds me of a lot of folk art, which uses simple forms to create a sense of depth and movement. It’s as if Barnes were saying, let's embrace the wonkiness of things and see where it takes us. It shows the artist isn't afraid to make a mistake. We can all learn something from that, can’t we?