Pitcher 1935 - 1942

Willoughby Ions made this 'Pitcher' with paint, and he made it exactly the size of the pitcher itself! It’s interesting to imagine Irons staring at a pitcher, brush in hand. I can imagine him making a light sketch, laying down those creamy whites and browns, trying to get the shape just so, and then going for the floral decoration. I wonder if he felt a certain way that day, like when you try to replicate something and your mood comes out in the color and line... The decoration itself is interesting – there’s this pink flower, kind of abstracted, right? And then these curving lines. They have a folk-art feel, a bit like the work of outsider artists who are drawn to pattern and repetition. It makes you think about the many ways we’ve tried to capture the everyday, the beauty in the ordinary, with just paint and a brush. It's all one big conversation, isn't it?