China Cupboard 1935 - 1942

George Fairbanks made this image of a China Cupboard using watercolor. Look at how the artist creates the impression of form and depth, building up these rich browns and deep blues with repeated washes, one after another. I think painting is a process of layering, of learning to see and feel through the act of repetition. I love how Fairbanks uses the watery quality of watercolor to depict the wood grain, creating a sense of texture and age. See that small patch of a lighter tone on the right door, just above the leg, and how it disrupts the overall symmetry, adding an element of surprise and informality? For me that is where the painting sparks into life, and becomes more than just a copy of an object. You know, this reminds me a little of Charles Burchfield, an artist who was also interested in painting vernacular American objects. It’s like these artists are in conversation with each other, across time, each adding their own unique voice to the chorus. And that is what art is, a dialogue, always open, always evolving.