Panel from Hall Lantern c. 1936

Blanche Waterbury made this panel from a hall lantern using watercolor and graphite. It’s a delicate piece, isn't it? You can see her process so clearly; the slightly tentative lines, the way the graphite peeks through the watercolor layers. Artmaking as a form of thinking, right there on the surface. The palette is muted, almost monastic: creams and grays, barely-there hues. It's a composition of geometric forms - diamonds and rectangles - neatly stacked, yet there’s something subtly off-kilter about it. Notice how the lines waver ever so slightly, resisting perfect symmetry. The whole surface has a soft, almost porous quality, which invites your eye to wander across it slowly. I'm reminded of the quiet, introspective quality in Agnes Martin’s grid paintings, though Waterbury brings a touch more whimsy to the geometry. It’s a reminder that art, at its best, is a conversation across time and between sensibilities, embracing nuance over rigid definition.