"Westward Ho" Compote 1935 - 1942

Paul Kelly made this drawing of a "Westward Ho" Compote, but we don't know when or with what medium. The delicacy of the scene encircling the bowl is mesmerizing! I can imagine Kelly’s focus here, the soft touch of the pencil bringing out the figures on the glass. Maybe he was thinking of the way pioneers dreamed of a better life? Or perhaps he just loved the object’s subtle beauty. The way the light seems to catch and flow around the glass makes me think of the transparent brushstrokes in a watercolor, the way the light shines through the glass and makes everything shimmer. There’s something so simple about the drawing itself that feels like a real homage, and reminds me of other artist who take everyday items and try to see them anew. It makes you wonder what conversations artists across time are having with each other, don’t you think? And, in the end, isn't that what art's all about?