Studier af trækroner 1930 - 1936

Niels Larsen Stevns made this drawing of treetops with graphite on paper at some point in his career, and I am immediately drawn to the directness and immediacy of the mark-making. You can almost feel the artist standing before the tree, squinting perhaps, rapidly capturing its essence with swift, confident strokes. I wonder what Stevns was thinking as he made this study? Was he trying to understand the branching structure, the way the light fell through the leaves? There is something so alive in this sketch, which feels as though it's still growing and changing right before our eyes. The texture of the graphite on paper creates a beautiful contrast. You see it too, right? It reminds me of other artists who have used drawing as a primary form of expression, like Philip Guston. Artists are in an ongoing conversation, you know? Always inspiring one another. So, remember to embrace ambiguity, and uncertainty, because there’s always more than one way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world.