Skitser af traner og herover skitse af løvværk 1900 - 1905

This sketchbook page, "Skitser af traner og herover skitse af løvværk" by Niels Larsen Stevns, feels like a captured moment, a fleeting thought jotted down with graphite and watercolor. It's all about the process, the artist working things out, not trying to be perfect. I love the way the light green washes create a sense of depth, almost like you're looking into a forest. Then there are these darker lines of graphite that sketch out the shapes of cranes. The contrast between the fluid washes and the decisive lines is what makes this page sing. My eye keeps going back to the lone crane at the bottom. It’s so simply rendered, just a few strokes of the pencil, but it captures the essence of the bird so well. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's loose, gestural drawings. You see, in art, sometimes it's about what you leave out, not what you put in!