Wedding Garter c. 1938

Syrena Swanson painted 'Wedding Garter' with watercolor on paper, and what strikes me is how she builds form with delicate, deliberate marks, a dance between control and letting the medium do its thing. The color palette is muted, almost nostalgic, evoking the passage of time, like a faded memory, but the embroidery pops with colorful detail. Look at how the garter itself seems to twist and turn; it's almost as if you can feel the tension of the elastic beneath. I love the almost naive detail in the rendering of the floral pattern on the front of the garter. The way each flower has been carefully delineated, with bold shapes and bright colors, contrasts the muted tones of the fabric surrounding it. Swanson's piece reminds me of other artists who find beauty in the everyday, like a Fairfield Porter still life. Both artists invite us to slow down and really look, to appreciate the subtle poetry of the objects that surround us. It's a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places, and that sometimes the simplest things are the most profound.