Goblet c. 1936

Vera Van Voris made this watercolor, Goblet, at some point during her long life. The marks here have a real evenness to them, which makes me think about artmaking as this kind of steady, meditative process. There's a real simplicity of color to the work. But if you look close, Van Voris coaxes out so many tonal variations in the wood through layering and blending. The paint has this transparent quality that allows the paper to come through and give the goblet its sheen. The careful modeling and shading, especially around the base, gives the piece a sense of depth. There's this little area under the lip of the cup where the color deepens into near blackness, suggesting a void. It's this perfect focal point that draws the eye in. I am reminded of some of Morandi's still lifes. Both artists take these everyday objects and turn them into something kind of mysterious and profound through attention and subtle shifts in tone.