Silver Teapot c. 1936

Michael Fenga made this drawing of a teapot, seemingly in preparation for making the object itself. It is a meticulous rendering with soft graphite. I really admire the attention to detail here - the artist's commitment to capturing the subtleties of light and form, the little grapes around the lid, and the handle with its strange right angles. You can almost feel the cool smoothness of the silver. I can imagine Michael bending over this drawing, carefully building up the tones, layer by layer. There is a real sense of quiet concentration and devotion in the making of this image. Painters often make studies before beginning a larger work, in order to work out ideas and compositions, and this feels like that. The smaller sketch on the right even more so. Art-making is an ongoing conversation. It takes years of practice and patience to master an artistic craft. There’s something really beautiful about the artist’s dedication to his practice.