Sickle c. 1936

James Lawson made this watercolor painting of a sickle, and it’s the kind of piece that makes you think about how art can elevate the everyday. The gentle washes of color, those muted greens and browns, they give this tool a real sense of presence. There's a quiet attention to detail; the way the light catches the curve of the blade, for instance. It’s as if Lawson is inviting us to really *see* this object, not just as a tool, but as something beautiful in its own right. It reminds me of some of Agnes Martin’s drawings, not in terms of style, but in the way both artists find a kind of profound simplicity in their subjects. Art's not about answers, right? It's about opening up questions, inviting different ways of seeing and experiencing the world around us.