Skating 1941

Elizabeth Olds created this image of "Skating" using printmaking techniques. I'm really feeling the gestures of the figures and how she's captured the joy of movement on the ice. I can imagine Olds getting into the act of painting, shifting, and intuitively working her way through the scene. There's this tension between control and chance, something I think about a lot in my own work. The texture feels almost like she's skating with the printing block, each scrape and carve leaving its mark. It reminds me of other artists like the Ashcan School painters, who also captured everyday life with such energy. Look at the figure in red, arms outstretched—there's such exuberance in that simple gesture. It speaks volumes about the simple pleasure of being alive and in motion. Artists, you know, we're all in this ongoing conversation, responding to each other across time. We keep the creative spirit flowing by embracing the ambiguous, allowing for endless readings.