Passion Flowers c. 1945

Elizabeth Saltonstall made this drawing of passion flowers with pencil, and maybe some charcoal, on paper. I love how the whole image is built up with tiny, repetitive marks. It reminds us that drawing, like any art form, is really about process, about layering and building something bit by bit. Look at the petals of the open flowers, see how they almost glow? That’s because Saltonstall has used the side of the pencil to create smooth, grey tones, then added darker, more precise lines to define the shapes. The leaves have a similar treatment, with a kind of soft, hazy quality. It’s all so delicate, like she’s trying to capture the most fragile and fleeting aspects of these plants. It reminds me a little of the botanical drawings of someone like Georgia O’Keeffe, where the close observation of nature becomes a way of exploring something deeper, almost spiritual. But in its own way Saltonstall's drawing is an equally intense observation of the world. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always have to shout to be heard.