Had I discovered Richard Haines’s painting, Mrs. Whistler’s Naked Niece, before I drew the card inspired by his work, the card might have been quite different. I like the painting. I really like the name. For some reason, it cracks me up. Maybe it’s because when the state of a subject’s dress (specifically lack thereof) is part of an artwork’s name, it’s usually “nude.” Nude Taking Out the Garbage, Nude Picking His Teeth, Nude Scratching Her Toe, etc. There is something light and amusing in the term “naked.” Maybe it feels more, well, naked, and honest (that’s a lot of commas), and (there’s another one!) less pretentious.

Why isn’t retentious a word? It really should be.

Anyway… Haines created six post office murals: The Picnic (Berwyn, Illinois), Iowa Farming (Cresco, Iowa), Kansas Farming (Wichita, Kansas), Arrival of the Fall Catalog (Hastings, Minnesota), Coon Hunt (Clinton, Missouri), and Skid Road (Shelton, Washington).