Three Birds 1952

Milton Avery made this evocative print, Three Birds, using woodcut techniques. I love the way he's embraced the grain of the wood. You can see the texture coming through the dark ink, like a stormy sky. It's all about process, isn't it? Look at the bird in the center – almost a silhouette. There’s a real tension between the positive and negative space, a kind of push and pull that keeps your eye moving. The blue birds on either side look like they're emerging from the darkness. It reminds me of how when I'm painting, I'm always trying to find the balance between control and accident. This feels like a conversation with artists like Marsden Hartley, who also used simplified forms and a limited palette to create powerful, emotional landscapes. Art’s always a dialogue, isn’t it? We're all just riffing off each other, trying to find new ways to see the world.