Cross c. 1937

Manuel Runyan made this drawing of a cross, sometime between 1855 and 1995, with what looks like pencil and watercolor on paper. I’m looking at the loops and swirls, imagining Runyan gently coaxing them into existence with a fine brush, diluting his pigment with more and more water. It’s interesting to see the object represented in different ways: the top left corner showing the object close up; on the right, a skeletal framework. There is a sense of movement, a lightness of touch here that gives it an ethereal feel. I wonder if Runyan was thinking about metal work at the time he made this? About how to capture the weight of that in a drawing? His lines are so precise, and yet, they are also soft and delicate, hinting at the cross's spiritual essence. When we look at art we are always in conversation with the artist and with each other. Looking at this drawing, I’m inspired to try and capture some of that delicacy in my own work.