Trees in the studio 1933

Qi Baishi made "Trees in the Studio" using ink on paper, and what strikes me is the push and pull between observation and expression. The ink is so alive! Look at the layering in the trees—they're not just flat shapes, but dense, teeming masses. And the way the ink bleeds and feathers out, it’s like he's letting the material have its say, creating an atmospheric depth that feels both immediate and timeless. It's like a dance between control and chance, isn't it? I'm drawn to the contrast between the solid, defined lines of the studio building and the wild, untamed foliage around it. It’s as if the built world is a temporary structure within the organic, ever-changing one. It reminds me of how Agnes Martin used to talk about drawing a line, and the kind of freedom she found in that restriction.