Still Life - Bottles, Jugs, Pitcher 1938

William H. Johnson made this still life painting of bottles, jugs, and a pitcher using oil paint. The colors here are muted, mostly browns, blacks and yellows, laid down in simple, thick strokes. It’s like Johnson is feeling his way through the shapes, not trying to copy what’s in front of him but instead building up his own version of reality. The paint application is really something. Look at the way he's rendered that blue pitcher. It's not just blue; it's a whole world of blues, blacks, and browns mashed together in this almost sculptural way. The paint is so thick you could almost reach out and touch it, feel the weight of the pigment. It’s not about smooth blending but about the joy of applying paint. There’s something similar in the work of Bob Thompson, another painter who knew how to push color and form to their limits. Both artists remind us that painting isn't about perfection, it's about the messy, beautiful, ongoing conversation between the artist and the world.