Cranberry Harvesting Scoop c. 1942

This is a watercolour and graphite drawing of a cranberry harvesting scoop by William Frank. I wonder what the scoop itself looked like? There’s a sense of patience in the way Frank has rendered each element, a careful attention to the texture of the wood, the way the light catches its surface, and how it all fits together. I imagine him studying the object intently, trying to capture not just its appearance but its essence, its history of use. It's not only about representation but also about the experience, the feeling of holding the scoop in your hands, of working the cranberry bogs. Artists, like Frank here, constantly re-evaluate and re-envision each other's work to come up with fresh perspectives on commonplace things. Frank has created his own distinct and imaginative vision.