Cup and Saucer c. 1936

Lillian Causey made this watercolor of a cup and saucer, and what I see is a meditation on everyday objects, transformed through her color choices and brushstrokes. It’s a reminder that artmaking is as much about seeing as it is about doing. The physicality of the medium is front and center here. You can almost feel the wetness of the watercolor, pooling in certain areas to create depth and shadow. Look closely and you can trace the paths of the brushstrokes, each one a deliberate act of layering and blending. Notice the way the red bleeds into the white, creating soft edges and a sense of movement. It's in these imperfections that the painting really comes alive. It feels less like a literal depiction of a cup and saucer, and more like an exploration of color, light, and form. In some ways, this piece puts me in mind of Giorgio Morandi, his still lifes are very different, but there’s something similar in how both artists turn mundane objects into a study of form and color. Art isn't about answers; it's about the questions we ask along the way.