Pa. German Dish 1937

This Pa. German Dish was made without a known date, by Eugene Shellady, using some kind of paint on, looks like, maybe watercolor paper. The first thing that strikes me about this piece is its surface quality, or rather, the image of its surface. The paint has a thin, watery consistency, as if Shellady was building up the image through layers of translucent washes. See how the ground is visible through the paint, giving it a kind of luminosity. I love the way the central motif—a sort of animal in a thicket—is rendered in such a graphic, almost cartoonish style. The inscription around the edge is so charming. There is a real sense of tenderness here. It reminds me a little of some of the work of outsider artist, Henry Darger. Not so much in terms of the imagery, but more in the way that the work seems to be coming from a very personal, and slightly eccentric place. The colors and the mark-making feel really intuitive, not slick or showy. Ultimately, it's the kind of work that invites you in, draws you closer, and rewards slow, careful looking.