Ice Cream Mold c. 1941

This delightful watercolor of an ice cream mold was painted by V.L. Vance. I love how the painting captures the metallic coolness of the mold. It makes me think about the artist's process—layering those subtle washes of grey and blue, probably feeling the weight and shape of the mold in their hand. I can imagine them really studying the object, trying to understand its form, and then translating that into paint. There’s something almost sculptural about the way the artist has rendered the different parts of the mold. I also appreciate the way the artist has chosen to depict something so everyday, elevating it to an object of beauty and contemplation. It reminds us that painting is really about seeing and transforming the world around us.