Pa. German Plate 1937

Eugene Shellady made this Pa. German Plate, sometime in the 20th century using watercolor and graphite, and you can see the process so clearly in the finished piece. The colors in the plate are so earthy, like a forest floor – greens and browns layered to create depth. Looking closely, the leaves and flower seem to float on the surface of the plate, almost as if Shellady was tracing the image out of the shadows. There's a charming simplicity to it. The lines are uneven, the colors bleed into each other, which gives the piece a kind of raw honesty. It makes me think of folk art, where the artist’s hand is always visible. You might compare Shellady's approach to that of someone like Bill Traylor, in that both artists share a direct, unpretentious approach to artmaking. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be polished or perfect to be deeply moving.