Winterscape VII 1967

Peter Milton’s "Winterscape VII" is an etching, so made by someone really digging into a metal plate to create the image. The magic of etching is really the magic of mark-making and tone, of turning a flat surface into an atmospheric depth of field. The way the image emerges, it's all about process. Check out the variations in the dark lines that form the trees and undergrowth in the foreground - they're all distinct, like someone making a journey of discovery as they draw. Think about the soft, almost hazy effect of the background. It's like the artist is conjuring a memory or a dream. It reminds me of the prints of Whistler, where the subject is almost secondary to the mood and atmosphere. In a way, art is always about that conversation, those echoes across time and between artists. A reminder that we're all just fumbling in the dark, trying to make sense of the world, one mark at a time.