Chair c. 1941

Louita Gourley made this painting of a chair, with what I imagine was thinned-down oil paint or perhaps watercolor, sometime during her long life which spanned from 1855 to 1995. I can almost feel her hand moving across the paper, carefully outlining each rung and spindle. The colour is so restrained, the way she’s used the brown pigment to create depth and shadow. She's really studying this chair. It must have been in front of her as she worked, perhaps in her home. I wonder if it was a favorite place to sit? I'm thinking of other painters, like Van Gogh, who also found endless inspiration in everyday objects. Gourley is an 'outsider' artist but all artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Paintings like this remind me that art isn't just about grand gestures, it's also about the quiet act of looking and really seeing.