Stoneware Jug c. 1938

Annie B. Johnston made this painting of a Stoneware Jug with what looks like brown watercolour or ink. It is a humble, utilitarian object that she painted, with a kind of care that I recognize from my own practice. The vertical marks and a single colour create a kind of tension that holds my attention. I can imagine her making this, carefully trying to capture the form of this object, looking at its textures, using these strokes to build up the volume. There's a directness to the approach, almost childlike, that gets at the essence of seeing and painting as an act of translation. Johnston is doing her own version of still life here, joining a long line of artists who find endless inspiration in everyday things. It reminds me that painting isn’t just about grand statements but about quiet observation, and the conversations we have with the world around us.