Apothecary | by Rosemary Leach

Painters (whose work is representational) are often weak in the knees on particular subject matter, particularly reflection, glass, portraiture and hands. It seems that even masters have spent lifetimes in agony over shadows and highlights, and understanding them in the context of full colour spectrum.

In my early days, when I was trying desperately not to be a painter, I did pottery. In a technology focused world, spending your life learning to "throw" the perfect bowl seems quaint, perhaps even a little insane.

And perhaps there is no point in explaining an obsession, people get it or they don’t.

Wiring one’s brain to think about colour mixing as a tonal (dark to light) range, in conjunction with other factors like the energy of a brushstroke, is similarly specific and humbling.

Like learning to express your feelings elegantly, say, in Mandarin.

There is much to stumble over.

I am attracted to utilitarian objects.

The more digital our culture becomes, the more soothing I find tangible, heavy, practical items.

As I delve into the subject of glass, these apothecary bottles hinted stories to me.

Rosemary Leach www.rosemaryleach.com