Silver Teaspoon c. 1938

Kalamian Walton made this drawing of three spoons, probably with ink on paper. The spoons are rendered with a fine, wiry line. It’s as if Walton is not just depicting these ordinary, functional objects but carefully examining their form, their curves, and their utility. I imagine him turning each spoon in his hand, observing how light catches its surface, capturing its essence through the deliberate strokes of his pen. Look closely at the top spoon. See the inscription on its face? It gives the spoon a commemorative feel, like a souvenir. And it’s interesting how the bottom spoon is viewed from its side so that we can hardly see the spoon’s face. I love the variations in the marks, which gives each spoon a different personality. It reminds me of the quiet observations of Giorgio Morandi, who spent his life painting the same bottles over and over, each time finding something new. Walton’s spoons, like Morandi’s bottles, invite us to slow down and really look, to consider the beauty in the everyday.