Lynn Harbor 1915

Philip Little made this etching, Lynn Harbor, sometime in his life, but the date is unknown; and it's an image that's all about process. I love how he's used these little, tiny marks to build up the whole picture. There’s something really beautiful in the way he’s broken down the image into smaller parts. The lines of the water, the rigging of the boats, and the buildings in the background are all made with this really scratchy, broken line. It makes me think about how an artist builds up a picture bit by bit, like putting together a puzzle. It reminds me of Whistler, how he used etching to capture these atmospheric effects. But there's also something very personal in the way Little has approached the image. It feels like he's really trying to capture the feeling of being there. For me, that's what art is all about: not just seeing, but feeling.