Fern 1878 - 1938

Roland Holst made this drawing of ‘Fern’ with graphite on paper, and it's all about mark-making as discovery. It’s like he’s feeling his way through the undergrowth with his pencil. The texture here is so tangible; you can almost smell the damp earth. Look at how he uses hatching to build up the shadows, creating a sense of depth and mystery. There’s this one fern in the foreground, its fronds arching towards us, practically begging to be touched. The physicality of the graphite, the way it smudges and catches the light, adds to the overall sensory experience. Holst reminds me a little of Odilon Redon, maybe it's the dreaminess, or even Alfred Kubin, in his exploration of the weird. Ultimately, art’s an ongoing conversation, right? It’s all about seeing what others have done and riffing on it, adding your own spin. What do you think?