Doll c. 1936

Lillian Causey made this watercolour painting, Doll, and I imagine her patiently building up the layers of color, one after the other. Look at the brown strokes that define the dress, they almost seem to melt into the paper. I wonder about her process, maybe she started with a light sketch, then let the watery paint flow and guide her hand? The doll's outfit feels so formal. I can imagine how a doll like this would spark a child's imagination and provide a glimpse into another, more grown-up world. Next to it, another doll hovers, unfinished. Painting is just like that – you're never really finished, but you have to stop somewhere! It’s as if Lillian is showing us how she has been thinking through the act of making, and that’s the real magic of it. Each painting is a record of a mind in action.