Calash c. 1936

Roberta Spicer made this drawing of a Calash hat with pencil and watercolour on paper. I love the way she's used a limited palette of earthy browns and creams, giving the piece a quiet, almost nostalgic feel. You can really see the delicate layering of the watercolour washes, building up depth and form in the main hat, like a slow, meditative process. The darker lines bring definition and structure to the hat, particularly in the way they delineate the folds and pleats. Notice how the other two hats are lightly sketched, almost like ghosts or memories of other possible designs. The contrast between the fully rendered calash and the ethereal sketches really adds to the overall composition. Spicer’s piece makes me think of Agnes Martin's quiet geometries, there’s a similar sense of calm and balance in their work. Art is always a conversation, isn't it? We're all just responding to each other across time, finding new ways to see and feel.