Bonnet c. 1939

Marion Gaskill made this bonnet out of watercolor, its colors like shadows cast on old silk. The way Gaskill teases out the form is quite something, isn't it? Look closely, and you'll see how the layers of the bonnet almost seem to breathe, each pleat a whisper of green and brown. It's like she’s not just painting a hat, but the very idea of one, its quiet, domestic presence. I love how the light catches the folds, giving it this subtle, almost ghostly glow. And those ribbons, hanging loose, they're like a pause in a song, a moment of quiet reflection. It’s simple but affecting. Gaskill’s eye reminds me of the work of Joseph Stella, with that same, loving attention to detail, that careful touch that honors the object and turns it into something more. It’s a gentle reminder that beauty can be found in the everyday, if we just take the time to really look.