Seth Thomas Clock c. 1937

This is Arthur Mathews’ watercolor of a Seth Thomas Clock. What strikes me here is the controlled and precise mark making. You can see the attention to detail, especially in the wood grain and the clock face. The artist seems to be really interested in how this object is put together. There’s something about the way this piece captures the texture of the wood. The glaze and the finish of the clock have this tactile quality, but it’s all done with washes of watercolor. Look at the reflection in the glass, it's a beautiful demonstration of how color can create a sense of depth. Mathews takes an ordinary object and turns it into a study of form and light. It makes me think of Charles Sheeler, the way he found abstraction in everyday objects. It reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation, each artist adding their voice to the mix.