Farmyard, Evening 1949

Thomas W. Nason made this wood engraving, "Farmyard, Evening," in 1949. Can you imagine Nason carefully cutting into that wood block? Each tiny slice and sliver creating the textures of the barn and the surrounding farm? It makes me think about the quiet intensity of observation. How Nason must have felt, standing in the evening light, watching the shadows grow longer, feeling the breeze rustle through the trees. The repetition of lines in the sky, the barn wood, and the haystacks create a sense of rhythm, almost musical. It reminds me of the work of other printmakers like Rockwell Kent, who found beauty in the simple forms of rural life. Artists inspire one another across time, constantly in conversation, and always finding new ways to express the beauty of the world around us.