Wood Sugar Bowl c. 1941

David S. De Vault made this drawing of a wooden sugar bowl, we don't know when, but it's rendered with loving detail in what looks like watercolour and graphite. The surface has a slight sheen, giving it a quiet and sturdy presence. The colour shifts from dark brown at the base to a lighter reddish-brown at the top, creating depth and volume. I love the subtle variations in tone, especially the way the light catches the edges of each ring on the lid and base. See that vertical crack running down the side? It gives the piece a sense of history, like a well-loved object with a story to tell. De Vault reminds me of the American modernist painter, Charles Sheeler, with his interest in the beauty and simplicity of everyday objects. This humble sugar bowl shows us how much there is to see and appreciate in the things we often overlook.