Zeilboot op het water c. 1909s

Here's a sketchbook page by Alexander Shilling, a couple of drawings of sailboats, probably done on the spot with pencil or charcoal. On the left we can see the faintest, tentative strokes, building up the shape of the sail with delicate lines. The right side, though, is bolder, the charcoal digging in and creating a real contrast between light and shadow. It makes you think about the relationship between drawing and seeing, between the lightness of a sketch and the heavy, dark mark. Notice the way the lines are not just descriptive but almost emotional, expressing the artist's feeling of the moment. The dark marks on the right page somehow bring to mind the work of artists like Cy Twombly, who made scribbles that felt both chaotic and deeply considered. And, like Twombly, Shilling reminds us that art doesn't need to be perfect or precise, it can be about capturing a feeling, a fleeting impression, or a moment in time.