Crock c. 1936

Fred Weiss made this drawing of a crock at some point in his long life. It looks like it was made with watercolor and graphite. The image shows two crocks sitting side by side, each adorned with simple, almost cartoonish, cobalt blue decorations. I can imagine Weiss carefully sketching the basic forms, then adding the watery washes of color, letting the graphite lines peek through. It’s a humble scene. The texture is flat and matte, without any impasto. It's very different from the kind of painting where the paint is built up in thick layers. And I wonder, what was Weiss thinking as he rendered these everyday objects with such care? Was it a kind of meditation? A way of honoring the simple beauty of the handmade? I think of other artists who take the time to depict domestic objects. Think of Giorgio Morandi. There’s a quiet conversation happening across time, between artists and their chosen subjects. Painting can really show us new ways of seeing and experiencing the world around us, especially the ordinary things.