Rain Bonnet c. 1937

Lillian Causey made this watercolor of a bonnet at some point in her long life. Just look at how she renders the fabric – so carefully, as if she’s thinking about each stitch and fold as she goes. It’s a process of translation, turning something soft and tactile into something flat but full of depth. I'm drawn to the way Causey used thin washes of color to create the illusion of volume and texture. The horizontal quilting of the bonnet contrasts so nicely with the soft gathers around the brim. And those delicate ribbons! They feel so ephemeral, like they might float right off the page. It’s funny how a simple object like a rain bonnet can become a vessel for so much feeling. Makes you wonder about all the hands that touched it, all the stories it could tell. It reminds me a bit of the still lifes of Morandi, everyday objects transformed into something monumental through careful observation and a sensitive touch. Art really is about seeing the world anew.