Table Still Life with Newspaper 1920

Kmetty János made this still life with watercolor, maybe in one sitting, maybe returning to it over several days. I can imagine him carefully arranging the objects on the table, the newspaper, the fruit, the bottles. You can feel János figuring things out as he goes along, shifting things with washes of blue, green, and red. I'm really drawn to the surface and the delicate way he's handled the watercolor. There’s a really beautiful balance between intention and accident, control and chance. Look at how the colours bleed and mingle, creating unexpected textures and effects! The fruit is so present and full of light, and the blue plate it sits on seems to glow. I can imagine János thinking, "How do I make these everyday objects sing?" And, you know, that's what I'm always trying to do with my paintings too. We are all in conversation with each other. Painting becomes a way of seeing, thinking, and feeling the world.