Applique Bedspread c. 1937

This "Applique Bedspread" was made by Mary Berner, who lived a long life between 1855 and 1995. It’s a watercolour, and you can see how the shapes were built up, piece by piece, like a slow, careful dance. There’s a transparency here, a gentle layering of colour on the off-white that gives it a soft glow. You can almost feel the quiet patience of Berner as she worked. Look at the way the green vines snake around the edge, and the little orange flowers, each one slightly different. It's almost like she's having a conversation with herself, or with the materials. It's like looking at a visual diary. This piece reminds me of the work of the quilter Rosie Lee Tompkins. Berner, like Tompkins, has this amazing ability to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. It’s a reminder that art is everywhere, in everything, waiting to be found.