Pa. German Small Plate 1938

Eugene Shellady painted this Pa. German Small Plate, using what looks like watercolour or gouache, with thin washes and delicate touches, probably without a lot of fuss. The colours are what grab me: that earthy orange around the rim against a kind of pale avocado green. It feels both grounded and a little unexpected. I love how the star at the centre isn’t perfect; it has this hand-drawn quality, with each point slightly different, that lends it a real charm. Look closely at that border. The way Shellady repeats those tiny shapes, almost like a rhythmic pattern, reminds me of folk art traditions, but with a personal twist. It’s like he’s speaking in a visual language that’s both familiar and deeply his own. This makes me think of another outsider artist, Bill Traylor, who also had a beautiful economy of means. In both cases, they invite us to slow down and really see.