Erwinna c. early 1930s

Daniel Garber's "Erwinna" is a pencil on paper drawing that, for me, is all about the subtle dance between line and shadow. I can imagine him, on site, squinting at this landscape and hatching furiously to capture it. Look at the way the lines build up to describe the cluster of houses nestled into the hillside. There's a certain humility to it, isn't there? As though Garber is saying, "I'm just here to observe." Yet, there’s also a lovely confidence in his mark-making. See how he uses the density of the pencil strokes to suggest depth? It's like he's sculpting the light with his pencil. It reminds me of other painters from that time who were trying to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. And I think, wow, we are all just trying to figure out ways to see the world anew. It is an exchange of ideas that transcends time, and inspires us all to keep drawing and painting.