West Wind c. 1920s

This is Percival Gaskell's 'West Wind', an etching in brown ink on paper. Looking at it, I start to imagine how the image evolved. Did he start with the clouds, layering the sky until it felt right? Or did he sketch out the horizon first, building up the landscape from there? The whole thing feels kind of tonal, moving from darks to lights. The clouds feel turbulent, almost about to burst. I wonder what Gaskell was thinking when he made this. Maybe he was trying to capture a fleeting moment, a sense of the wind's energy. It reminds me a bit of Whistler's moody landscapes, but with a touch more drama. I’m sure both of them, and other artists too, were pushing at something similar: how to pin down an atmosphere, a feeling, with just a few lines and tones. That’s painting for you.