Ham Pencil sketch on location

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Pencil Sketch - Elmer Ham
4" x 6"

This is one of a number of small en plien air sketches that Elmer L Ham in preparation for larger more finished works.  I find even his small sketches to be very powerful and to my eye, rapidly executed.  If you take a close look at the shading in the trees and the overall pencil strokes, they are long and decisive.   There is an economy of pencil strokes - defining both form and value.  Also the line framing the drawing is not even - which indicates a more rapid process to me.  This sketch would serve as the basis for a work in any medium having a strong sense of perspective as well as arranged patterns of lights and darks. 

Other pencil sketches exist that are more complete and finished works in their own right - but I would hang this on my wall too!

Elmer was also known to work on subjects a number of times.  In a series almost.  When I was younger and newer at painting that never appealed to me.  Monet's haystacks, cathedrals, and water lilies come to mind.   But I can see the value in it now.

Today I took a walk along a little brook near to home, that I've seen hundreds of times.  Yet it is different each time I look at it.  The water was high today and running fast.  Yet areas that were usually rapids upstream were running smoothly - the water was deeper than normal so the rocks only caused whirlpools in the water - not actual rapids.  Other areas that were usually rapid free, with rocks high out of the water, were raging rapids.  The more closely I observe, the more I realize just how little I see of natures beauty.  It's different every day.

Here is a picture of Ham painting on location.

Elmer L Ham
Painting on Location - location unknown
Ham Person Papers Raynor Collection


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