Rabbet Plane c. 1938

Samuel Faigin created this watercolor drawing of a Rabbet Plane. Look at the wood grain he’s captured, those swirling patterns, and the way the light hits the handle! It almost feels like I can reach out and touch it, feel the smoothness worn by years of use. I wonder how long it took Faigin to render this so precisely, the careful layering of washes to build up the depth and the shadows. As a painter, I think about the decisions Faigin had to make. How to simplify the form while still capturing its essence? How to find the right balance between detail and abstraction? I bet he labored over it, just like I do when I'm trying to get a painting *just* right. It makes me want to go back to my studio and start another one right now! It’s like we’re having a conversation across time.