Crock c. 1940

Charlotte Sperber made this watercolour painting of a crock. I love how Sperber approached this everyday object with such care, capturing the subtle gradations of gray and the delicate blue floral design. There’s something so tender about focusing on something so simple. It’s like she’s saying, “Look, even this humble pot has beauty if you really see it.” I can almost imagine her, brush in hand, squinting at the light as she mixes her colors, trying to get just the right shade of blue for those petals. And those blues, they're not just decorative, right? They feel like a gesture, a little burst of joy on the side of this otherwise utilitarian object. It reminds me of other painters who find poetry in the mundane, like Morandi with his bottles or Fairfield Porter with his domestic scenes. Painting is an ongoing conversation, a way of looking, thinking, and feeling through the world together.