Bed Warming Pan c. 1941

V.L. Vance painted this watercolour of a bed warming pan, but when I look at it, I don’t see a still life, I see a conversation across time. I can imagine Vance carefully rendering the metallic sheen of the pan, trying to capture the light as it reflects off the surface. Maybe they were thinking about warmth and comfort, of the daily rituals of home and family. The rooster and floral motifs are so charming. Were they imagining the hands that crafted the original pan, the stories it could tell? It’s like they were having a conversation with that artist, a collaboration across time. Painting, for me, is like that too. It's about engaging with the past, with the work of other artists, and finding my own voice within that ongoing dialogue. It's about embracing the messiness and uncertainty, and letting the painting guide me towards something new and unexpected.