First Landing in St. Johns, New Brunswick 1951

This sketchy drawing, “First Landing in St. Johns, New Brunswick,” was done by John Marin, and you can just see him there, with his pad, quickly capturing the scene. What I love about Marin is his economical use of line. In this drawing, each stroke feels essential, like he’s wrestling with the scene, trying to pin it down. I can imagine him standing there, maybe a little seasick, quickly trying to get the essence of the landing. The buildings are just a few lines, the water a scribble, but somehow it all comes together. It reminds me of my own process sometimes, trying to capture a feeling or an idea with as few marks as possible. It's a dance between intention and accident, control and letting go. And that one long squiggle across the water, maybe it suggests movement, maybe just the light reflecting. It's like he’s saying, "Here, this is what it felt like."