Weather Vane c. 1941

This is Elmer Kottcamp's weather vane, made with watercolor and graphite. It's less about a showy display of skill, and more about getting the thing down on paper. It's a study. The colours are muted, almost ghostly. The brushstrokes are loose, creating a sense of movement and impermanence. The graphite gives an earthy tone to the letters, so they feel grounded in the paper. Look closely at the rooster’s comb, the only dab of bright colour in the piece. It's like a quick, confident gesture, a little flag on top of the whole thing. It reminds me of some of Charles Burchfield’s studies. Both artists transform the mundane into something a little mysterious, a bit otherworldly. It's like they're saying, "Hey, look at this thing, this little piece of everyday life. Isn't it weird? Isn't it beautiful?"