Melodeon Converted into Desk c. 1937

Magnus S. Fossum made this intriguing watercolor, "Melodeon Converted into Desk," and it’s like a peek into a world where things aren’t quite what they seem. The browns and russets give it a warm, almost nostalgic feel, like an old photograph gently faded by time. The surface is smooth, but Fossum coaxes so much detail out of the wood grain. Check out the legs, how they taper and turn. The shadows are cast with careful strokes. You can almost feel the weight and texture of the timber. There's a sense of transformation, like the desk is playing a song of its own, humming with the memories of melodies past. It makes me think about artists like Claes Oldenburg, who took everyday objects and blew them up to absurd proportions. Fossum is doing something similar but in reverse, shrinking a whole musical instrument into a neat little workspace. It's about seeing the potential in the unexpected, turning one thing into another. It's a beautiful reminder that art is about endless possibilities.