Bootjack c. 1937

Wellington Blewett made this watercolor drawing of a bootjack, perhaps sometime in the early to mid-twentieth century. Just imagine him, squinting slightly as he works, carefully building up layers of pigment, letting the forms emerge gradually, through trial and error. I find myself really drawn to the way the colors here almost mimic the real thing. The wooden forms are rendered with such care. You can almost feel the smooth surface of the wood, the gentle curves designed to ease off a stubborn boot. Look at the delicate shading around the edges, how Blewett captures the light playing across the surface. There’s a sense of quiet observation, a deep appreciation for the everyday objects that surround us. It reminds me of the work of other folk artists, those who find beauty and meaning in the simplest of things. And isn’t that what art is all about, really?