Painted Decorations on Ceiling c. 1939

Harry Mann Waddell made this watercolor of painted decorations on a ceiling, and what strikes me is the way he captures the light playing across the wooden planks. The grain of the wood is rendered with such delicacy, you can almost feel the texture of the surface. The color palette is muted, soft grays and whites, punctuated by these pops of red, yellow, and green in the decorative motifs. The paint is thin and transparent, allowing the paper to breathe beneath the marks. Look at the way the red line meanders across the top plank, and how the floral shapes sprout from it. It’s a dance between precision and spontaneity. Waddell’s interest reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint's, a dedication to capturing the unseen energies of the world. Whether or not that was his intention, this painting invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, to find beauty in the everyday, and to appreciate the art that surrounds us, often hidden in plain sight.