Tirca 1939

Milton Avery made this drawing called 'Tirca' on paper. You know, looking at it, I feel like Avery is feeling his way through the image, not in a tentative way, but like he's letting the process itself guide him. I'm really drawn to how the pencil creates a texture that almost feels like fabric, especially in the way the strokes vary in direction, density, and pressure. See how he builds up the shadows and form through the layering of these marks? It's not just about depicting Tirca, but also about the act of drawing itself. Notice the hands, how they're not quite resolved but still so expressive, so present. They're like these little knots of energy holding the whole composition together. This reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley's portraits, in the way they both find a balance between abstraction and representation, emotion and form. But Avery is doing his own thing, simplifying and amplifying to get at something deeper. For me, it’s a reminder that art isn't about perfection, but about the journey of discovery.