Foot Warmer 1939

J. Howard Iams rendered this watercolour and graphite drawing called 'Foot Warmer' sometime in the 20th century. I like to think about what was on Iams’s mind when he made this; there’s a strong sense of functionality in this image and a playful warmth. The little stars punched into the metal of the warmer have been rendered with light strokes, as if he’s trying to capture their flickering light in paint. The inscription on the front of the warmer is great! “Don’t burn your shafts” it reads. I imagine him painting each letter, savouring their folksy charm as he meticulously depicted them, perhaps contemplating the objects practical purpose. How to keep warm in winter, or how not to burn one's shafts! This image shares a directness with other paintings and drawings of vernacular objects; there is something beautiful in its simplicity and the artist’s careful attention. It makes me want to pick up a brush and remember that paintings are ongoing conversations.