Weather Vane c. 1939

This weather vane was drawn by Samuel W. Ford in watercolor. Look how the horse and jockey almost float in space – it’s like a memory or a dream. I like the way Ford handled the reins, so delicate, yet suggesting a real sense of control and movement. You can almost feel the wind and hear the clatter of hooves. The palette is hushed, almost monochromatic, with earthy grays and browns that give it a vintage feel. I wonder if Ford had a fondness for horses or if he just liked the way the weather-vane spun in the wind. Maybe he even thought about movement and stillness, in the same way a painter thinks about the push and pull of the brushstroke, how each mark can change the whole picture. Weather-vanes like this, drawings like this, remind us that art is everywhere, always turning and changing with the wind.