Black Stallion c. 1979

Robert Peak made this drawing of a ‘Black Stallion’ with charcoal and what looks like maybe some pastel. I love the confident sweeping lines of the horse’s mane—you can see the energy in them. You know, there’s a big difference between laboring to get something right and just letting it flow out of you. And the artist seems to have been in a flow state, just letting his hand and arm do what they know how to do. That little dab of blue and gold on the horse’s head is so poignant—I wonder if he added that at the end, like a little jewel? It reminds me of Franz Kline, with the bold, graphic strokes, but here it’s softer, dreamier. Painters are always riffing off each other. I bet Peak would have been happy to know his work makes me think of Kline. It's like we're all having this big conversation across time.