Rag Doll Bodice c. 1936

Cecily Edwards made this watercolour drawing called "Rag Doll Bodice" and it depicts a doll dressed in a mauve-coloured dress. Look closely, and you can almost feel the artist’s hand as she carefully applied each layer, one after the other. The texture and details of the fabric are captured with such care that they almost feel real. I can imagine her sitting in a quiet room, totally absorbed, her brush dancing across the page, figuring out how to use thin washes of paint to describe the doll's ruffled skirt. She captures the essence of childhood play, a world of imagination where a simple doll becomes a confidante and companion. I think of Gwen John and her quiet, intimate portraits, and how each artist finds their own way to explore interiority. It makes you wonder about the conversations artists have across generations.