Skitser af får. Notater 1900 - 1905

Here's a page from a sketchbook by Niels Larsen Stevns, filled with studies of sheep done in pencil. You can see the artist working, trying to capture the weight and form of these animals with just a few lines. I imagine Stevns sitting in a field, quickly sketching these sheep as they move and graze. See how the lines are light and gestural, almost like he's feeling his way around the shapes? It's not about perfect representation, but about capturing the essence of the subject. I’m always drawn to the immediacy of sketches like this. There's a vulnerability to them—you can see the artist thinking, making decisions, and experimenting right on the page. This is how artists learn and grow, by constantly questioning and pushing the boundaries of their own understanding. It makes me want to grab my own sketchbook and start drawing whatever's in front of me. Maybe I’ll draw a sheep too!