Untitled (Sacking Grain) c. 1935 - 1940

This is a drawing by Joe Jones called Untitled (Sacking Grain). It’s made with graphite on paper. You can see two figures sitting on grain sacks in a field, one is mending a sack with a needle and thread. Looking at the image I feel a closeness to the artist, who is drawing using hatching and cross-hatching. The way the shading defines the form and suggests light reminds me of the drawings of Seurat. I can imagine Jones sitting out in a field with these workers. The light must have been very bright. The act of drawing itself seems very connected to this scene. The careful mark-making embodies the slow, careful work of these figures. It’s like Jones is having a conversation with these other workers about their day. There is a realness to the scene, but also beauty in the tonal variations. We artists are always looking to each other for inspiration, trying to find our own way.