Blinman (Mt. Patawerta) 1940

Hans Heysen made this drawing of Blinman and Mt. Patawerta with pencil and chalk—can’t you just picture him out there on location with his pad and pencils? The whole scene is rendered in muted tones, which might seem drab at first glance, but they’re also kind of exciting, in a quiet way, all those subtle variations. The land is evoked through the repetition of short, hatched marks, and the goats too—they feel kind of rough and ready, like they've been sketched in a hurry, capturing their essence more than their exact form. I wonder what it was like for Heysen, standing there, charcoal in hand, trying to capture this landscape? It reminds me a little of those Cezanne drawings where he's trying to pin down a mountain with just a few lines. It's not just about recording what’s there, but about feeling it, living it. And sharing that feeling, through mark making.