Rolling Pin c. 1940

Albert Rudin made this drawing of a rolling pin in watercolor on paper; can you imagine him carefully rendering the woodgrain? I’m thinking about the artist making this. I imagine him patiently layering the washes of color to capture the light as it hits the surface of the wood. See how he’s built up the tones to give it form and depth? It is almost as if he is trying to understand the object, as he painstakingly copies the textures and the marks. I’m drawn to the textures. The way the light glances off it. I bet other artists inspired him. And now he's inspiring us. Artists, we are all in an ongoing conversation, you know? An exchange of ideas across time. Painting is a form of expression which embraces ambiguity, allowing for all sorts of readings.