Rag Doll c. 1937

Verna Tallman made "Rag Doll" in watercolor on paper, and it feels like such an intimate, almost diaristic piece, doesn't it? There's something incredibly direct and unaffected about the way the figures are rendered. Look at the way the color is applied, so matter-of-fact, the green trousers are rendered in thin washes, letting the paper breathe through, which emphasizes the nature of artmaking as a process. I’m really drawn to the hand gestures of these figures. They’re so open and inviting, yet there's also an element of awkwardness. The hands look more like the paws of a friendly fox. It's this balance between intention and accident, control and release, that makes the painting so compelling. It reminds me a bit of the work of Bill Traylor, in its simplified forms and unpretentious approach. Both artists have a knack for capturing the essence of a figure with minimal means. It’s a conversation across time, a testament to the endless possibilities of painting.