Wax Doll c. 1936

Mary E. Humes made this artwork, "Wax Doll," using watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper. There’s a tenderness to the way Humes renders this doll, a sweetness in the limited palette of grays and reds, as if she were breathing life into a beloved object. I’m drawn to how she captures the texture of the doll’s dress, using a light wash of gray to suggest the fabric's soft drape, punctuated by those bright red bows. It’s a study in contrasts: the delicate precision of the lines against the almost dreamy quality of the watercolor. Look at how she uses graphite to create soft shadows around the face, giving it depth and volume, this single color performs many functions. It reminds me of the work of Joseph Yoakum, another artist who found poetry in the everyday. In both, there is an emphasis on the personal that transcends simple representation. Art isn’t just about what we see, but how we feel and remember. It’s in that space of ambiguity, where interpretation is open and fluid, that the magic happens.