Silver and Glass Flagon c. 1936

Carmel Wilson made this watercolor of a Silver and Glass Flagon, and it makes me think about how artists see the world. The cool, smooth surface of the glass, that delicate curve—it’s all caught so beautifully here. I imagine Wilson carefully building up the layers of watercolor, trying to capture the way the light filters through the glass and reflects off the silver. The metal is really great, look how she suggests form through the hatched marks. It's like she's not just painting an object, but also trying to evoke the feel of this luxury vessel. It’s this combination of observation and emotion that I find so compelling. Painters are always having a dialogue with each other, across time and space. Wilson's watercolor makes me want to pick up my own brushes and start exploring the world through color and form. And in the end, isn't that what it's all about?