Side Saddle - California Syle c. 1937

Harry Mann Waddell made this rendering of a side saddle in the California style, using watercolor, ink, and graphite. What strikes me most is the contrast between the highly finished areas and the parts that are barely sketched in. It’s like the artist is showing us his working process, or maybe he just got bored halfway through. Look closely at the tooled leather of the saddle flap. The stitching and the way the light falls across its surface give it a real sense of depth and volume, while the sketched-in pommel and stirrup seem to float in the background. The number '255' is printed on the pommel, perhaps an inventory number from a catalogue or manufacturer’s record. This piece reminds me a little of the work of Vija Celmins, who also made highly detailed drawings of everyday objects. But where Celmins is all about precision and control, Waddell seems more interested in the sheer pleasure of mark-making, embracing the unfinished, and suggesting a world of possibilities.