violets and the stars

I made these inks back in 2023; it'd been a several years’ break from drawing regularly, and I was feeling stuck as to how I could get back into the swing of creating.

One day, while flipping through a Friedrich art book I had just purchased from Powells, I couldn’t stop imagining fantasy creatures basking in the beautiful ruins he’d sketched, or flying across the vast skies he’d painted. I decided it would be fun to study some of these classic pieces. I could refamiliarize myself with some art fundamentals (like composition, values, and strong silhouettes), while also adding some fun personal details to help them to resonate with me even more. Before I knew it, I’d made nearly a dozen studies, all the while reading about his life.

Friedrich battled with a lot of grief in his life, and I was in the middle of coming to terms with many tragic events as well. Making these pieces was a lovely way to draw parallels and understand someone from 200 years ago, as well as understand myself and reignite some inspiration to draw again. 

So yeah, these are a handful of the studies I'd made then. Thanks for taking the time to look c:

Sea beach in the fog  (1807)

Two Men Contemplating the Moon (1819)

Winter Landscape with church (1811)

The Tomb of Arminius (1813)

Ruins of Eldena, near Greifswald  (1825)

Chalk Cliffs on Rügen (1818)