Stoneware Crock 1938

Edward W. Buechner created this stoneware crock of indeterminate date using what looks like watercolor or gouache on paper. Just looking at it, I can imagine Buechner hunched over this drawing, carefully rendering the cylindrical form and its folksy decorations. The blue floral patterns and stylized bird motifs are so sweet; it feels like they’re trying to escape the confines of the frame, or maybe the crock itself. You can almost feel the artist's hand as they applied each delicate brushstroke, building up layers of color to capture the subtle variations in tone and texture. I wonder what Buechner was thinking as they worked? Was it a sentimental object from childhood? Or maybe he was just interested in the challenge of rendering its simple, utilitarian form with such care. The drawing reminds me a little of other folk art pieces, like the work of Joseph Pickett, who also found beauty in the everyday objects and scenes of his life. It's like artists are always conversing with each other across time, riffing on each other's ideas and approaches.