Toleware Tin Tea Caddy c. 1940

Clarence W. Dawson made this drawing of a Toleware Tin Tea Caddy sometime in the twentieth century. It’s a humble object, this tea caddy, but it is rendered with such care that it seems important. Dawson’s approach to mark making is fascinating here. There is a real sense of process: the layering of delicate lines and colours build up the images density. Looking at the flower motif, it is easy to imagine him repeating the small stroke of colour that bring this image to life. The surface has a beautiful quality – there is texture, achieved with subtle variations in tone. It’s as if the form has emerged gradually through accretion. I am reminded of the work of Alfred Wallis, another artist who was interested in surfaces and how they could reflect the passing of time. Both Dawson and Wallis encourage us to see the beauty in the everyday. This piece encourages us to appreciate what is around us.