Shaker Spiral Staircase c. 1938

George V. Vezolles made this drawing of a Shaker Spiral Staircase with watercolor on paper. The color palette is so gentle, almost like a whisper, and the lines are confident without being shouty. It’s clear Vezolles understood that making art is a process of finding balance. It’s about the conversation between color, line, and surface. I find myself drawn to the point where the handrail curves; it’s like a question mark inviting you upward. There's a quietness in the rendering, a dedication to simplicity that feels very Shaker in spirit. It’s all very controlled, yet there’s something quite human in its imperfections. It reminds me of Agnes Martin, in the way she uses soft color and geometry to create a sense of space and contemplation. Art's not about answers, it's more about the questions we ask, and the spaces we create to ask them in.