Side of Original Confessional c. 1936

This delicate watercolour on paper by Geoffrey Holt captures the Side of Original Confessional in muted browns. I imagine the artwork emerging as Holt carefully builds the image through layers of thin washes, each stroke mapping the surface. It's fascinating to think about Holt, who lived a long life—1855 to 1995—and what he might have been thinking as he made this drawing. The pale browns and detailed woodwork, communicate the quiet dignity of the confessional. Holt’s careful delineation of the object’s design reminds me of technical drawings. There is something intimate about his patient observation and rendering of what is a solemn space for confession. Holt's broader body of work, as well as that of folk artists like him, reminds us that art is everywhere, in the everyday. It is a language we learn from one another. We embrace the unexpected and find meaning in the act of creation itself.