Pewter Sugar Bowl c. 1936

Sidney Liswood rendered this pewter sugar bowl with pencil and watercolor sometime between 1855 and 1995. I love the way a drawing can capture the glint of light on metal! I’m picturing Liswood, squinting a bit to really nail that grey hue, carefully layering strokes to build the form of the bowl. There's a real commitment to detail in the curves of the handles and the subtle shading of the base. It's like a love letter to an everyday object, wouldn’t you say? That red accent on the lid feels so deliberate, like a little wink. It’s not just about representation, it's about feeling the weight and the smoothness of the metal through the act of drawing. It makes me think about all the still life paintings I've obsessed over, and how each artist brings their own flavor to the table, transforming the mundane into something totally captivating.