Pa. German Wooden Acorns c. 1941

Hester Duany made this lovely drawing of Pa. German Wooden Acorns sometime between 1920 and 1950. Looking at Duany’s acorns, perched delicately on their stands, I feel a pang of recognition. It’s hard to capture the simple beauty of everyday objects, isn’t it? I can imagine Duany, carefully mixing her watercolors, trying to get just the right shade of ochre for the acorn’s smooth surface. Each stroke seems deliberate, a loving attempt to capture the essence of these humble treasures. It reminds me of my own studio practice: the hours spent wrestling with form and color, the quiet satisfaction when a painting finally clicks. Duany’s careful strokes speak to a shared artistic quest. We’re all just trying to make sense of the world, one brushstroke at a time.