Small Table c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin made this watercolour of a small table; the date of its making is unknown. Claflin coaxes the paint into representing rustic wood, with an interesting warm, red underpainting, and a soft grey on top. Look at how the pigment pools and settles in the rendering of the tabletop. It's almost as if Claflin is encouraging the watercolour to mimic the way water might gather on the surface of real wood. Then look at the decorative detail of the table legs. It's an interesting design choice, almost as if Claflin is thinking about the cut-out decorations on a gingerbread house. Claflin seems to take a lot of joy in this translation of furniture. This reminds me of the work of Forrest Bess, another artist with an outsider sensibility, who pursued his own vision with an obsessive curiosity. They both ask: how can we make our own worlds?