Study on a spoon

When I worked on this spoon, I wasn’t just interested in drawing it accurately — I wanted to see how light alone could give it presence*. Against the toned paper, the highlights almost seem to sculpt the metal, pulling it forward from the flat surface. That use of chiaroscuro makes the spoon feel both real and strangely separate, as if it carries more weight than it should.

*I think of Morandi here, in the sense of austerity and restraint. He showed me how ordinary objects can carry quiet dignity if you give them space, if you let them breathe.