Branding Iron c. 1942

Elizabeth Johnson made this watercolour on paper, showing a branding iron and its mark on the page. What I love about this piece is the attention to detail – the way the light catches the metal, the slight irregularities in the shape of the iron, and the earthy palette, all of which show the object as it is, but also hint at its weight and the labour that comes with it. I can't help but wonder what it was like for Elizabeth, living between 1855 and 1995. What might she have been thinking as she painted? Was she simply documenting a tool, or was she contemplating something more profound about the land and its people? Painters like Elizabeth Johnson, who embrace the everyday, teach us to see the world with fresh eyes. They remind us that art isn't just about grand statements, but also about the quiet, persistent work of observation and the stories objects can tell.