Studie van een olm 1904 - 1908

This is a drawing of an elm tree made with gentle washes of diluted ink by Coba Steenhoff. I see how the brushstrokes were coaxed across the paper, layer upon layer, like building up memories. It’s like Steenhoff was whispering to the tree. I feel like I’m standing right there with her. The tree is so delicately observed; look at those tiny leaves clinging onto the branches, and the subtle shading that gives depth to the trunk! It's a conversation between the artist, the tree, and the very act of seeing. The artist really gets across the essence of the tree’s character; I imagine other artists have seen this and wanted to capture the essence of nature for themselves. It’s all about feeling and translating that feeling into marks, isn’t it?