Sunset and Moonrise at Cilian-Aeron 1902

F. L. Griggs made this drawing, Sunset and Moonrise at Cilian-Aeron, with graphite on paper. It's this incredibly delicate dance of light and shadow, a landscape built from the ground up with tiny marks. You can see how the artmaking process is front and center. I find myself drawn to the way Griggs builds the foliage, especially on that big old tree to the left. Look at how each leaf seems to be articulated with a flurry of tiny lines, creating this overall sense of density and volume, but also a sort of vibrating energy. It’s like he's not just drawing leaves but also capturing the feeling of the wind rustling through them. The texture is so tangible, I can almost feel the rough bark and the soft flutter of the leaves. This piece reminds me a bit of Samuel Palmer, who also had this knack for rendering nature with a kind of mystical intensity. But where Palmer often went for these dramatic, sweeping compositions, Griggs feels more intimate. It's like he's inviting you to step into this quiet, in-between space where the day is fading, and the night is just beginning. Art, right, it’s all just one big conversation.