Illuminated Psalm c. 1939

Elmer Kottcamp made this *Illuminated Psalm* using watercolor, but when I look at the brushstrokes, I can really see his hand. It makes me think about how much faith is involved in artmaking, just letting the process lead the way. The texture is so delicate, almost like it’s breathing. Kottcamp’s chosen a range of colors here, pastel shades that come together to make something heartfelt. Check out the way the birds are painted, they’re kind of cartoonish, but sweet. And then there’s the heart shape in the middle with the words in it, like a secret message. There’s a vulnerability in those marks. This piece reminds me of other artists like Forrest Bess. Both were interested in the mystical dimensions of art. Kottcamp’s work invites us to consider art as a means of connection, a reaching out across time and space. It’s never about having the answers, but about embracing the questions.