Church, Shelburne 1961

Donald Greason made this watercolor and graphite drawing of a church in Shelburne, at no known date. The artist has built this image from a palette of soft grays, carefully modulated to describe a wintery scene. Looking at it, I can almost feel the cold seeping in – the kind of day where the sky is heavy and the air is still. I bet he was outside when he drew this, quickly capturing the stark, bare bones of the landscape. It's more than just a depiction; it's like a record of a moment experienced. You know, what really strikes me are the skeletal trees; they remind me of Philip Guston’s late work. They suggest a shared sensibility, a way of seeing and feeling the world that transcends time and style. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the endless conversations artists have across generations, each riffing on the themes and ideas of those who came before.