Candle Stand c. 1937

This ‘Candle Stand’ was made by Edward L. Loper, and it looks to me like it was made with watercolor. What I love about watercolors, and what Loper shows us here, is that the marks are translucent. The grain of the wood bleeds through. The painting has a real sense of how things are made, and the light touch gives the object a special feeling. I feel like I can touch it; I can practically smell it! The artist hasn't tried to hide any of the imperfections. There’s a little detail in the upper left, it's a draft or miniature version of the whole piece. It is there, giving us some insight into Loper's process, making it so open and generous. It reminds me of Charles Burchfield’s paintings, who also took such care with capturing light in his watercolors. It's great to see how artists look at the world and show us what they see.