Skitse af planteornament 1906

This plant ornament was sketched by Niels Larsen Stevns. You can see how he mapped out the dimensions on graph paper, and then started to look for the plant's core. I always wonder about artists in sketchbooks. What are they thinking? Are they in a rush? Here, Stevns uses the pencil in all sorts of ways. Sometimes it’s just a light feathery touch. At other times, it looks like he’s bearing down hard, searching for the essence of the plant. A few lines describe the edges of leaves. Others suggest the energy of the plant’s growth. For me, sketching is a way of thinking and playing. It’s not precious. I try stuff out and see where it goes. Every artist learns from looking at the world. I see these lines as part of an ongoing conversation, an exchange between Stevns, the plant, and maybe even you. It embraces the ambiguity and uncertainty, and makes room for more than one reading.