Hand Wrought Iron Candlestick c. 1938

Gordena Jackson made this watercolor painting of a candlestick at an unknown date. The colour palette is muted: browns, creams, and blacks dominate. I imagine the brushstrokes themselves were deliberate, each curve and line carefully considered. Look at those little curly-Qs – each one a tiny vortex. You know, I really get the sense that Jackson was trying to capture the essence of the object, its weight and purpose. It reminds me a bit of those old documentary paintings—simple, direct, honest. Maybe Jackson thought about history and the traditions of craftsmanship? I feel like she’s saying something about the importance of everyday objects, the beauty in the mundane. It reminds me of other artists who find inspiration in the overlooked corners of life. Ultimately, art is a conversation, right? We’re all just riffing off each other, building on what came before. And sometimes, the simplest gestures speak the loudest.