Creamer c. 1939

Beverly Chichester made this watercolour of a Creamer sometime between 1855 and 1995. Look at the watery way Chichester has depicted the glass, with these transparent, flowing washes of pale green. It’s as though she’s chasing after the light as it hits the glass, trying to capture that fleeting gleam, that ephemeral play of colour. You can imagine her, squinting at this lovely green creamer, her hand moving deftly across the page, coaxing the watercolour into mimicking the smooth curves and delicate spirals of the glass. The way the colour bleeds and pools in certain areas – like around the base and handle – gives the creamer a sense of depth and volume. It’s a bit like a dance, a delicate back-and-forth between the artist, the object, and the medium. She creates a tender, lyrical ode to everyday beauty. It reminds me of Fairfield Porter's paintings of domestic interiors. Artists, they’re always looking, always responding, each one adding their own verse to this ongoing visual poem.