Skitser af fugle 1864 - 1941

This page of bird sketches was made by Niels Larsen Stevns, probably in a sketchbook, sometime between 1864 and 1941. Can you see how the pale pencil lines capture the essence of the birds’ forms? Imagine Stevns’ hand moving quickly across the page, trying to keep up with the fleeting movements of his subjects. There’s a wonderful immediacy here; each sketch is a fresh attempt to capture something of the birds’ character. You know, when I'm painting, it's this feeling of trying to keep up that I love – that balance of eye, hand and heart is so precarious! These aren't finished drawings; they’re more like visual notes, aren’t they? The artist isn't trying to create a perfect likeness, but rather to understand the underlying structure and movement of these creatures. For me, a sketchbook is like a painter's playground - it’s where we record our thinking. Every artist is in conversation with those who came before them, and will come after, building on each other’s ideas and insights. The beautiful thing about drawing is its openness, inviting us to see and feel in new ways.