The Tool Art

 Carlyle’s Tools

Near the end of my design career, I finally reached a point where I could devote dedicated time reconnecting with my childhood love of drawing. Selecting tools that Carlyle used often and those I thought had both character and history, I drew them in graphite and then applied watercolor using more pigment than water in my case. This technique, plus smaller brush sizes, allowed me to capture the details.

During the process, I learned how critical it was to study each tool carefully to see exactly what the light was telling me. A good example of this is the Whisk Broom, which I saved for last. Each individual piece of straw needed a light and dark side to work faithfully. This piece was one of the more challenging to complete, even though I left a portion of it to the imagination. I usually refer to it as the Carpal Tunnel Broom.

Working on the series, I often wished Carlyle were still alive. Questions I had about many of them will forever remain unanswered.