Vessels

July flew by in a blur of trips to the U.S., and friends visiting us here in Montreal. It was also also unremittingly hot. I had less time to draw and paint than usual, but during one of those visits, we went to the Jean-Talon market with our friends TC and K. TC and I sketched for an hour or so while our spouses went off to Little Italy to buy spices. Because I almost always work by myself, I'd forgotten how much fun it is to sketch with someone else. TC set up the empty bottles and a coffee cup from our lunches, and we both got to work, on opposite sides of a table. He was using my Moonman fountain pen on smooth paper, and I was using my green Sailor fude-nib pen on rough watercolor paper.

Here's my sketch, with color added:

and here's TC working on his, a very good contour drawing. 

I liked this detail of my sketch:

But later, the bottles were what stuck in my visual imagination. Vessels in a still life arrangement always take on a slightly anthropomorphic quality, which is interesting on its own, but also made me think about the way we are all vessels, with a variety of appearances, qualities of solidity or delicacy, and larger or smaller openings to the world -- while inside, we hold very different things that we may reveal transparently, or partially, or not at all. 

Earlier that week I had done this fast sketch of the water jars and containers of brushes and tools on my drawing table:

But then, during the following week, I was inspired by the earlier bottles to paint a still life of some vessels at home, chosen for the variety of their shapes and materials, from opaque to transparent. While the fast studio sketch, above, is just a study in colors, forms, and transparency, the one below had the challenge of the glass, metal, ceramic and plastic materials, but it also seemed to take on a more psychological aspect, as vessels tend to do when organized in a group. Whether it is a family, or a temporary relationship of five, how do the individuals relate, inform, echo, or even distort each other? Can I, as the "director" of this scene, make the objects relate to each other in particular ways? And what is going on subconsciously -- what did I not even notice as I was putting the still life together?

I think about these questions somewhat when I'm choosing and arranging the objects, but composition is pretty intuitive for me, and happens quickly. The questions become much more interesting as I study the painting over the days after it was made.

Vessels with maple syrup jug. 9.5" x 7"; transparent watercolor on Fabriano cold press.

 

Comments

[marly youmans]

Families, glass.... I'm reminded of playing with marbles when I was a little child, arranging them into families and communities, enjoying the interplay of colors, having them click together...

[Jean]

Fascinating thoughts, Beth. I've never really understood why I find still-life depictions so compelling.

[Martine]

I love the transparency of the short bottle in the last image.
(You are both so talented at so many things!)

[Natalie]

Lovely fresh, glowing vessels and a sense of peaceful, intense reflection (litersl and metaphorical). I recognise those hands! Say hello to TC and K for me.

[Roderick Robinson]

Bottles, decanters and glasses - not a straight line to be seen and there's the challenge