Study for "Lemon" c. 1975

This is Leo Dee’s “Study for Lemon,” made with graphite and coloured pencil on paper. Imagine Dee, head cocked, eyes narrowed, gently coaxing the lemon’s form onto the page. First, building the structure, a geometric frame, and then, adding depth with a gentle, bluey-grey hatching under the lemon. This shadow is almost more present than the fruit itself. The lemon hovers, bathed in light, a beacon of citrusy hope. I love the little cluster of blue marks in the corner, like a painter's palette, or a secret code, or a set of scales. This artwork is about so much more than just a lemon. It's about the alchemy of observation and the quiet poetry of everyday objects. This piece reminds me of Agnes Martin. It also brings to mind Vija Celmins’ obsessive drawings. Artists are always in conversation, aren’t they? Each one echoing, responding, and pushing against what came before, making marks and meaning in the process.