Weather Vane - Cock c. 1938

Selma Sandler made this wonderful, forthright drawing of a weather vane, featuring a cock. What I love is how the work becomes a record of close looking. Sandler is so careful to mark every single feather! I bet she spent hours on this drawing, gently layering marks. Maybe she started with an outline, then added more and more detail, building up the form bit by bit. You can almost feel her hand moving across the page, carefully studying the object, trying to capture its essence. I find myself wondering about her daily life, what inspired her work, and who she looked to for inspiration. The drawing feels so connected to folk art and early American art. It makes me think of the Shakers, people making simple, beautiful things with their hands. And it makes you realize that we are all in conversation with one another across time, artists inspiring each other's creativity.