Tea Kettle c. 1940

Fred Hassebrock made this humble painting of a tea kettle, we don't know when, but look closely, it’s whispering stories of quiet, careful observation. Imagine him, squinting perhaps, focusing intently on the object before him. The gentle gradations of brown and umber suggest a worn surface, a history etched into the metal. You can almost feel the slight variations in color and texture as his hand moves across the page. It's really about tone, about light. The overall effect isn’t slick; it's more of a muted appreciation. He's not aiming for pyrotechnics here, but he gets the essence of the everyday. Fred’s painting is like a conversation, a shared moment of noticing the beauty in the mundane. And it makes you wonder, doesn’t it, about all the other humble things waiting to be painted? It's a way of honoring the world.