Wooden Toys 1935 - 1942

This is Rex F. Bush’s study of wooden toys. Imagine him there, maybe late in the day, carefully rendering these playful objects. There’s something so tender about how he's captured their forms. It's like he’s thinking about childhood, or the simple joy of making something with your hands. I can see him squinting, trying to get the light just right, mixing the brown wash ever so carefully. Look at how the light catches those round edges. There's this quiet hum, a sense of calm observation. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, that quiet, thoughtful Italian painter. Both artists share this gentle attention to everyday things. It’s like Rex is saying, "Hey, look at this. Isn't it lovely?" And you know what? It is. Artists are always in conversation, even across time, inspiring each other. Painting is a form of embodied expression. It's nice to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity, allowing multiple interpretations. It helps create meaning.