Monhegan (study) 1922

Nicholas Roerich made this sketch of Monhegan with pencil on paper, and right away you can see how the lines aren't precious. They aren’t about getting it right, but about feeling the scene out. It’s all about process here. Look how Roerich lets the pencil wander, building up tone with these loose, scratchy marks. You can almost feel the wind blowing through those trees, that landscape. I love the way the heavy top of the tree on the right is balanced with some quick hatches in the lower right corner. There's a rhythm to the drawing, like a dance. Roerich's work reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley, who also painted Monhegan, although with much heavier paint. But Roerich’s sketch has a lightness that I find really appealing. It embraces the fleeting nature of a sketch, of a thought, of a moment in time. It leaves space for you to fill in the gaps.