Ruby Pitcher c. 1936

Ralph Atkinson's ‘Ruby Pitcher’ is an intimate dance between observation and creation on paper. The pitcher, rendered in shades of ruby, is not merely depicted but almost brought to life through Atkinson's meticulous watercolor technique. I can imagine Atkinson, brush in hand, carefully layering the pigment, building up the translucent quality of the glass. The choice of rendering the floral design in outline speaks volumes. It’s like a ghost of another pitcher, or a study, maybe an earlier draft or a discarded version. The real pitcher is full of light and shadow, and you can see the light glinting off the surface, thanks to the careful layering of watercolor washes. Atkinson is telling a story, not just about a pitcher, but about seeing and feeling. I wonder, what kind of liquid would he want to keep in there? It’s like a conversation across time, about the simple, beautiful act of looking and then trying to translate that onto a surface.