Village Street 1920 - 1923

Walter Griffin made this drawing, Village Street, with colored pencils on paper. Look at the layering of these marks! I can imagine Griffin outside, squinting at the scene before him, his hand moving quickly, trying to capture the light filtering through those trees. Did he start with the blue, mapping out the shapes of the foliage, then come back with the warm reds to give the buildings their form? I wonder if he smudged the colors with his fingers, blending them to create that soft, hazy atmosphere. I think of other artists like Bonnard, who also used color to evoke a feeling as much as to describe a place. There's a sense of intimacy here, isn’t there? As if Griffin wasn't just recording what he saw, but sharing a moment, an emotion, inviting us to see the world through his eyes. Artists are always in conversation, riffing on each other's ideas, pushing painting forward. I hope this inspires you to grab some pencils and make your own mark.