Brass Cream Skimmer c. 1940

Sydney Roberts, who lived such a long life, made this study of a brass cream skimmer at some point, we don't know exactly when. I love that she chose this object, probably from her home. I can see her closely observing the color, shape and pattern of holes, and how the light hits the surface of the metal. It must have been absorbing to study the subtle color variations and the way the holes create this overall pattern, and then to render it in watercolor. I imagine her holding it in her hands, turning it over, feeling its weight, and examining the textures of the brass. The light bounces off the metal, creating highlights and shadows that must have been mesmerizing to capture with watercolor. I think of other artists like Giorgio Morandi, who took humble objects and elevated them through painting, and how artists are in an ongoing conversation with one another. Each one building on the ideas and practices of those who came before.