Sugar Chest c. 1938

Sarah F. Williams made this watercolour and graphite drawing of a Sugar Chest sometime in the 20th century. The precision of the line work is really something – you can tell it's been carefully planned out, almost architectural in its detail. It speaks to artmaking as a process, a step-by-step unfolding of intention onto paper. I’m struck by the texture here; the paper itself seems smooth, and the washes of color give the wood this soft, almost velvety feel. Look closely at how the artist has rendered the play of light and shadow on the surface of the chest. There's a warmth in the honeyed hues that makes you want to reach out and touch it. In this drawing, the grain of the wood has a certain weight and depth. This piece reminds me of some of the technical drawings made by folk artists. I like to think of art as a conversation across time and space. We’re all just adding our voices to the mix, interpreting and reinterpreting the world around us in our own way.