Stoneware Jar c. 1939

Philip Smith created this watercolor drawing of a stoneware jar, and just looking at it makes me think about the many ways painting helps us see. The brown pigment is smoothly applied, but it's not flat, is it? Smith coaxes us to see the subtle changes of surface on the jar’s side. I think the artist might have been thinking about light when making this work. You can see how they focused on the rounded, dimensional form of the jar. And how about those little wave forms near the top? Doesn't that band of ornament invite us to think of landscape? Making paintings is like a conversation, a passing of thoughts and gestures across time. Smith’s jar connects to the still life tradition, sure, but it also makes me think about the paintings of Giorgio Morandi. It makes me think about how one artist inspires another.