Zeilboot op het water 1914 - 1916

Here is a graphite drawing of a sailboat on water by Willem Cornelis Rip. Look how the marks swarm to conjure a brooding sky, reflected perhaps in the choppy water beneath. I imagine the artist outside, on location, holding the sketchbook, feeling the wind and damp air, squinting at the scene. Did Rip labour over the details, or allow the drawing to emerge from the initial marks he made? The strokes of graphite feel quick, urgent, like the artist is trying to capture a fleeting moment. The verticals of the masts are grounded by the scumbling horizontal marks that sketch the land and water. The clouds are a frenzy of energy. This drawing makes me think of other artists, like James McNeill Whistler, who were also captivated by the effects of weather on a scene. Artists like Rip have so much to teach us. He shows how the act of looking and drawing is a conversation with the world. He inspires me to grab my own materials and head out into the elements!