Colcha 1935 - 1942

Curator: Hmm, that has an intriguing playfulness. What do you make of the arrangement, with the flower looking out from under the layered rainbow? Editor: Well, here we're looking at "Colcha" by Majel G. Claflin, crafted sometime between 1935 and 1942 using acrylic paint and drawings as media. Initially, it feels disarming, with the kind of innocence you see in folk art, but then the earth tones start to speak of something deeper. The whole setup looks almost like a shelter. Curator: You're right. I'm drawn to the earthy palette—those shades of brown especially. What symbolic meaning can you glean? The geometric shapes contrasted with the abstraction. How do they balance each other? Editor: It is interesting. The rainbow as promise, protection; the flower centered below, striving perhaps. In folk art, motifs recur. And this image, though simply rendered, speaks to a sense of hopeful resilience. Notice how even the jagged 'ground' below the flower looks stable and enduring. Curator: Yes, a certain earthiness with both feet firmly planted while daring to hope. Claflin seemed like such an intuitive, almost mystical character; do you see her personality here? Editor: Undoubtedly. The vulnerability inherent in hope made visible. A visual poem rendered in acrylic. What do you get from this exploration, knowing that the title literally means bedspread or covering? Curator: In all fairness, bed coverings should provide more than mere insulation, right? I think in “Colcha," she creates something of a comfort, maybe protection, but definitely one blooming with earthy possibility. Editor: It feels like a quiet anthem of fortitude and visual embrace of our capacity to still hold hope. The artist creates something truly comforting, reminding us that we have been doing that throughout all human history.