Crock c. 1936

Charles Caseau made this drawing of a crock with watercolor on paper. Isn’t it funny that painters often turn to everyday objects? Just imagine Charles, carefully rendering this humble crock. He’s using a limited palette: those muted browns and blues, and the way he layers them, almost lovingly, capturing its smooth, rounded form. The blue design is so simple, yet so carefully rendered. You can see the history in it, the echoes of folk art traditions, and the simple, honest beauty of handmade things. It reminds me of Morandi, doesn’t it? This quiet meditation on form and object. Maybe Charles was thinking about him too. Painting is like a conversation, a big, messy, ongoing exchange across time. Each brushstroke is a little thought, a little feeling made visible. We get to enter this conversation, adding our own interpretations and experiences.