Wall Cupboard 1935 - 1942

Samuel W. Ford made this watercolor and graphite of a Wall Cupboard; he's working with wood tones like burnt umber and raw sienna. The piece is so detailed, you can almost see Ford building up the image, stroke by stroke, figuring it out as he goes. I imagine him studying the original cupboard, really looking, trying to understand its form and the light playing across its surface. The texture of the wood grain, the way the light catches on the carved details—it's all rendered with care. Look at the door—the way he suggests the depth of the carving with subtle shading. It's clear Ford is not just copying, he's interpreting. This reminds me of other self-taught artists. The process is a kind of conversation with the object, figuring things out through the act of painting. It’s like artists are constantly in dialogue with each other, across time, inspiring and pushing each other’s work forward.