Carved Wooden Basket c. 1938

Regina Henderer made this drawing of a carved wooden basket with graphite and colored pencil on paper. Look at the way Henderer shades with the pencils, building up depth and volume. You can really see the artist thinking through the structure of the basket, one mark at a time. I love the way the pencils capture the wooden texture! The surface is so alive, so physical. You can almost smell the wood. Notice the carved details around the rim – leaves, flowers, grapes. Each one is carefully rendered, giving the basket a sense of history and craft. The drawing has these warm, earthy tones, creating a comforting, homey feel. It reminds me of folk art, like the work of Bill Traylor or even some of the early American modernists. Ultimately, it’s about the ongoing dialogue between artists and the world around them, each adding their own voice to the mix. It's like she's saying, "Here's my version; what's yours?"