Creamer c. 1939

Beverly Chichester made this watercolor of a creamer some time between 1870 and 1920. It looks like she started with a light, pale gray wash on the paper, and then built up these lovely layers of translucent green, like a memory of glass. The way she painted the handle is really interesting. It’s not just an outline, but has a real weight and curve to it, that somehow feels both representational and abstract. The lines that give shape to the body of the creamer have a similar effect. I like how she’s focused on this everyday object, giving it the space and attention we usually reserve for grander subjects. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, who painted the same bottles over and over again, searching for something new each time. Art is all about these conversations, isn’t it? A never-ending process of looking, responding, and looking again.