Candle Holder c. 1938

Mildred Ford made this drawing of a Candle Holder on paper, we don't know exactly when. The object is rendered with a kind of casual precision. There is a feeling of an authentic moment of observation, the artist really looking at something. The subtle hatching gives the metal its weight and texture. It's not just about copying what's there but about really figuring out how to communicate form through mark-making. Look at the area where the vertical meets the ring. See how the shading and lines suggest the joining of separate pieces, the slightly raised edges, the play of light and shadow? It’s such a modest area, yet it holds the key to the whole drawing, like a secret ingredient. There's an unassuming quality to this drawing that puts me in mind of Giorgio Morandi. In both artists, there's a commitment to the everyday, and finding beauty in the mundane. Neither Ford nor Morandi were trying to make grand statements, but instead, they offer us a quiet, contemplative space to think.