Pitcher c. 1938

Francis Law Durand made this small watercolor painting of a pitcher, and what I like about it is its ordinariness. Can you imagine him carefully observing this commonplace object? It's almost monochromatic, but the color, a warm brown, has some depth to it. The surface looks smooth, the paint probably thin, built up in layers to give the pitcher form and weight. Durand's brushstrokes must have been tiny, precise. There's something so intimate about this attention to detail; the small size feels like a meditation on the everyday. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, who spent his whole career painting bottles, each one unique and deeply felt. It suggests that art isn't always about grand gestures, but about really looking, with love and focus. It's about finding beauty in what's right in front of you. We all are in the process of seeing and being inspired by one another's creativity.