Waterton Ferry, Ellon 1905

James McBey made this etching of Waterton Ferry in Ellon, using a range of marks, from light and feathery to dense and scratchy. I love to imagine him outdoors, squinting at the scene, maybe on a cloudy day when the light is muted and the reflections are soft, and I’m thinking about how the process of mark-making must have been almost like a form of translation. I can see how the different kinds of marks create depth and texture. Look at the vertical strokes in the foreground reeds versus the circular hatching that defines the trees, all so very gestural. It's almost like a personal shorthand for visual experience. The image is made up of so much black ink, which creates a mood that is at once intense and peaceful. Painters and printmakers like McBey are always in conversation with each other, borrowing and riffing on ideas. McBey reminds me of Whistler and Rembrandt, masters of light and shadow. It’s like they’re all part of an ongoing discussion about how to capture the world on a flat surface, embracing all of its ambiguity.