Shelf Clock c. 1939

Edward Bashaw made this painting of a Shelf Clock, but when, we don’t know! Look closely, and you can see how each brushstroke has been carefully applied. It’s like Bashaw is building the clock right in front of us. He’s not just copying what he sees but also trying to capture its essence, its very being. You know, the way the light hits the wood, the shadows that give it depth? I imagine Bashaw, his brow furrowed in concentration, carefully mixing his paints to match the clock's warm, reddish-brown hue. What's fascinating is the way he depicts the wood grain; it's almost like each line tells a story. Maybe he was thinking about the clock ticking away, marking time, as he meticulously worked on this painting. I like the naivety of the little landscape painting too. And let's not forget, artists are always in conversation with each other, across time and space. We all inspire each other, borrowing ideas, techniques, and pushing boundaries. It’s not so different from music. This clock isn’t just about telling time; it’s about the feeling of time, the passage of moments, captured in paint.