Pine Trees 2004

Avigdor Arikha made this drawing called *Pine Trees* with what looks like charcoal or maybe soft graphite. The drawing is full of scribbly, bristly marks that capture the rough texture of the tree and foliage. You can see the artist trying to get the branches and leaves just right, building up layers of marks, almost like he’s feeling his way through the structure of the tree, one stroke at a time. I imagine him outside, squinting at the tree, really trying to capture its essence. There’s something really immediate and honest about the marks, like he wasn’t trying to be perfect or precious, but just letting his hand follow his eye. It makes me think about other artists who draw trees, like Van Gogh, each of them finding their own way to express the life force they see in nature. For me, it feels like a reminder to embrace the messy, imperfect process of making art.