Amber Pan c. 1941

Chris Makrenos made this watercolour of an amber pan, and you can really feel the delicate touch of the brush. Imagine Makrenos’s focus, his breath held as he built up the colour, layer by transparent layer. The way the light filters through that amber glass – he’s chasing it with pigment and water. The texture is so smooth, almost like he's polishing the surface of the paper to mimic the glass itself. Look at how the colour deepens at the base, a subtle gradient suggesting weight and form. It reminds me of those quiet, contemplative still lifes by Giorgio Morandi, everyday objects imbued with a sense of timelessness. There’s a real intimacy here, a humble beauty in the ordinary. We painters, we’re all looking and learning from each other, across time. Makrenos captures not just the object, but the very essence of seeing. Painting is an invitation to slow down, and to really see.