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"Vase and Kylix shows us three vessels—the shallow Greek drinking cup known as a kylix, a tall and slender matte-glazed vase, and a small crystal bowl. The strong shadow line on the right brings our attention first to the kylix, where we can observe the Greek key pattern in orange-red on its edge, the curve of its footed base, the slightly upturned handles, and the illustration of Apollo playing the lyre in its gently curved bowl.

"With the kylix turned in this direction, our attention is drawn to the handle catching the light. The shape of the black-glazed handle draws our attention to the similarly shaped, petal-like lobes of the crystal bowl. Our eyes delight in the precise rendering of this beautiful bowl and the smooth stones within it, each stone mimicking the curving shape of the bowl's petal edges. As our eyes linger around the edges of the bowl, our attention is drawn to the shadow cast by this bowl, a shadow composed of patterns of refracted light.

"The rendering of transparent and reflective surfaces is one of the areas of Linda Mann's technical expertise, and this crystal bowl is one of the best examples. But Mann uses a full arsenal of surface textures in this painting. Notice the contrast of the rounded edges and optical surface of the crystal bowl against the rough-hewn edges and chalky surface of the stone slab behind it, on which is perched a tall vase. The shape of the tall and slender modern vase contrasts with the wide, shallow bowl of the kylix and the opening petals of the crystal bowl, yet the matte, inky-hued glaze pulls our focus back to the kylix, showing us how beautiful these pieces look set off against one another. Through a series of contrasts, our eyes are pulled on a journey to discover the specific nature of each item, contemplating each beautiful thing on its own and in relation to the other objects."

—Sherri Tracinski, The Intellectual Activist, Vol. 19, No. 4