Railing, Detail of c. 1939

This watercolor on paper is by George E. Rhone and shows a close up of a railing in shades of blue, brown and grey. I wonder what the process of making this image was like for George? Was he sitting there, really observing the particularities of the railing, the light, and the shadow? The verticality of the balusters create such a strong rhythm, and that line of blue, like a bolt of pure color, really animates the drawing. You can see the artist thinking about color and form, and also about the architecture, its construction and the history of the building. It reminds me of the work of other artist architects like Charles Burchfield, who found inspiration in vernacular buildings. There’s something really special about how artists see the world and transform the ordinary into something extraordinary. I love how artists are always in conversation with one another, building on each other’s ideas and pushing the boundaries of creativity.