On it May Stay His Eye 1976 - 1977

David Hockney made this print, "On it May Stay His Eye," with colored pencils. It feels like a stage set, doesn't it? A blue-lined stage with objects waiting for the players to arrive. I can imagine him in his studio, surrounded by the vibrant light of Los Angeles, deciding which colors to use to trace the outline of a rug, a guitar, a vase, and some shelves. The casual arrangement and the way he uses line to suggest form reminds me of Matisse's interiors. Look at the colors that sprout from the shelves, they're like a painter's test palette. It's as if Hockney is inviting us into his playful world of image-making. He is a modern-day master of the line! A draftsman who knows how to be free and easy. I see him winking at us, asking us to complete the image.