Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1909

This letter to Philip Zilcken by Henrietta Buhot, with its fluid marks in ink on paper, speaks of a personal and painterly touch. Imagine Buhot, perhaps jotting this down in a moment of pause, the pen dancing across the page, each stroke a little breath. I wonder what was on her mind when she made it? Was she thinking of her own work? Or how her work might measure up to her contemporaries? I know I do. The way she forms the letters – see how they lean and loop – it’s like a little performance. I love how the ink pools and fades. It’s like she’s whispering, confiding something. In my own practice I like the way a line can carry feeling, intention, or meaning. It's like a dance between control and accident. It's easy to imagine Buhot and her friends, the cross-pollination of ideas. We're all just bouncing off of each other, through time, a beautiful mess of inspiration. So, next time you pick up a pen, think of Buhot and let your hand lead the way!