Sugar Bowl c. 1937

Michael J. Miceli made this drawing of a sugar bowl with what looks like watercolor on paper. The aqua color gives it a strangely delicate and dreamlike appearance, kind of floating there. The brushstrokes are simple, but deliberate, and the way the color pools in certain areas suggests a real attention to the physicality of the paint. It's not about hiding the process; it's about revealing it. Look at the base of the bowl. See how the color gets darker and more intense, creating these wonderful swirls? It's like a little abstract painting all on its own, but it also gives the bowl a sense of weight and groundedness. It reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, you know? That same quiet contemplation of everyday objects, but with a slightly off-kilter perspective. It's the kind of piece that invites you to slow down, to really look, and to find beauty in the unexpected.