East Jamaica Way 1943

Here's a graphite landscape on paper by Milton Avery, and what a beauty this simple sketch is. I can just see him outside with his sketchpad in hand. The pencil lines vary from light feathery strokes, to dense, almost scribbled marks, like he's trying to capture the essence of the landscape as quickly as possible. Look how the hills roll into one another. There's text, too, which isn't always easy to read but adds to the sketch-like, unfinished quality of the piece. I wonder what the word ‘velvety’ refers to? Maybe it's a description of the way the light falls on the landscape, or maybe it’s a feeling he had that day. This little drawing reminds me of other landscape artists like Lois Dodd, who used simple shapes and colors to create powerful images of the natural world. Avery's sketch is a reminder that art is a conversation, an exchange of ideas across time, inspiring each other's creativity. There is a special quality to the artist's touch, even in its ambiguity.