Landschap met bomen en twee figuren 1910 - 1917

Alexander Shilling made this graphite drawing of a landscape in 1910, right here in this sketchbook. You can tell he's feeling out the forms, getting a sense of the place with lots of tentative lines. The landscape is lightly sketched, but the artist uses darker marks to give definition to the trees and the ground. This creates a contrast and gives the composition an overall sense of depth. Look at the way the light is reflected; how the marks on the left hand side almost appear as a ghostly presence compared to the bold marks on the right. The use of visible lines creates a sense of energy. It’s as if you’re watching him work, seeing the landscape come alive through his eyes. Schilling reminds me of Cezanne who also liked to use drawing as a way to explore the possibilities of form and space. The act of artmaking is an ongoing conversation between artists across time. It's about finding your own way of seeing and experiencing the world.