Crock c. 1939

Nicholas Amantea made this drawing, Crock, with watercolor and graphite on paper. The whole thing is a dance of muted tones, beige and browns, and then these lively blue graphic elements. I love how he's captured the cylindrical form with such economy, just enough shading to suggest the roundness, and then BAM that blue design pops right out. I imagine Amantea hunched over his paper, squinting at the real object, trying to get the proportions just so. What kind of focus did that take? You know, I think he understood that in painting, it is a conversation across time, inspiring creativity for all artists! It looks like an understated rendering of something that might have been mass-produced in its day, but it shows a craftsperson's touch. The blue design is so spirited and freehand – it’s just great.