"Twittering Machine" is definitely one of my favorite paintings. I've always been fascinated by Paul Klee's work...
especially his line drawings! His lines look like a child's; very honest, strong, yet shaky. You can tell he didn't try
to perfect any lines by drawing over them. The first mark he lays down stays as it is. Klee used watercolors, pen
and ink to create "Twittering Machine." I first saw this painting as a poster hanging on the wall in the drawing
classroom at my high school, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, in Florida. I was intrigued by the image...it was just so
strange to me; these bird like creatures that look like they are a part of a machine, all singing, or being forced to
make noise. It was interesting - I didn't know how to feel about this painting. This could either be viewed as a
happy,
upbeat scene, or a bizarre and eire one. At first glance though, I was simply inspired by the simplicity of the
painting,
especially the line work. The lines are wobbly, thin, delicate looking, yet there is still apparent line variation. The
colors are mostly pastels and are very cool. Blues, purples, magentas, and greens
fade and blend into each other. The colors are not very saturated, or opaque,but
are more transparent, revealing the medium. The texture is very watery and the volume is shallow, but there are
blotches of dark ink smudged around the twittering machine, which helps set the focal point on the birds. There is
not very much depth. The image is kept simple and flat.
