On Long Island 1940

Elizabeth Olds made 'On Long Island' with graphic media on paper. The colours are muted, sandy yellows, teals, and the clouds churn in strokes of grey and white that feel unresolved. I wonder what it might have been like for Olds to make this print? What was she thinking as she applied these colours, layering them one by one? I imagine her carefully choosing each hue, aiming to capture the breezy, overcast mood of the seaside. The sandy yellows evoke the warm shore, contrasting with the blues of the water, while the grey and white swirls of the clouds convey the atmospheric conditions. I feel her intention to show the everyday, with people fishing and enjoying the day. The perspective of figures and boats are flattened, giving the image a charming simplicity. Olds’ ability to integrate a representational scene with more simplified mark-making is part of a larger conversation among artists about capturing the essence of a place through a unique aesthetic lens. This print reminds me of Milton Avery's simplification of landscapes. It’s as if Olds and Avery were exchanging letters about how to see and feel a place, and how to put that on paper.