Vase c. 1938

Cleo Lovett made this watercolour drawing of a porcelain vase, no date is listed, it’s about 28cm tall. Look at the confident symmetry of the thing, the way the white porcelain reflects the light, and how the blue details sit inside the careful outline. I imagine Lovett sitting at her table, squinting as she tries to get the form just right. This vase, a still life of an object. I wonder if she was interested in ceramics more widely, or was it just the form? The details of leaves and grapes make me think she liked to garden. Perhaps she had a small plot with climbing vines. I can imagine her pausing from painting to tend them. Lovett has carefully balanced light and shade, creating something both useful and beautiful. We’re all in conversation with each other, aren’t we? Artists looking at other artists, inspiring and riffing off each other.