Sickle c. 1936

Here we see a sickle, rendered in watercolor, by James M. Lawson. I’m imagining Lawson with his brush, carefully laying down these pale washes. It looks like a simple tool, but the rendering is so precise, so considered. Look how the artist captures the glint of light on the metal, the subtle curve of the blade, and the way the handle fits snugly into the hand. I wonder what Lawson was thinking as he painted this? Maybe he was contemplating the labor this tool represents, the connection to the land, or maybe he just liked the shape! This isn’t just a picture of a tool; it's a meditation on form and function. It makes me think about other artists who found beauty in the everyday, like Van Gogh with his boots, or Morandi with his bottles. It's all part of the same conversation. We see something, we respond, and we add our voice to the mix.