Drum 1935 - 1942

Charles Charon, who lived a long life from 1855 to 1995, made this little drawing of a drum with colored pencil. I love the modest scale and humble medium. It’s so gentle; the colors are like faded candy. Look at how each triangle around the drum’s body is carefully filled with a different color. It gives the drum a festive, patchwork feel. The drawing feels deliberate, but not overworked, more like a labor of love. You can sense him really enjoying each mark, each decision. It reminds me of Alfred Jarry, another artist with a long life, who knew that something marvelous can come from something small and weird. Artmaking is just as much about the process as it is about the final result. It is a testament to the power of finding beauty and meaning in the simplest of subjects, rendered with an honest and personal touch.