Patchwork Bedspread c. 1936

Frances Lichten made this 'Patchwork Bedspread' with, it looks like, watercolor. I’m drawn to the way she worked with process, maybe not knowing how it would turn out, and that’s what I try to bring to my own painting. Look at the details, the textures, the feel of the surface. It’s not about perfection, it’s about the hand, the eye, the heart. The colors pop against this coffee colored ground, don't they? Especially those reds, so full and juicy. It's like she’s building up the painting layer by layer, letting each color sing its own song. It reminds me a bit of the work of pattern painters, or maybe someone like Elizabeth Murray, who also loved to play with color and form. But Lichten has her own voice, her own way of seeing the world.