Roman Head Woodblock

Here is the current wood block that I have been working on. It is carved and inked with black relief ink ready to be printed. The wood is a white pine. I like the slightly sculptural quality of the wood block.

I carved another block to render a background color and have produced a few color proofs. I'm not totally satisfied yet, but I'm making progress.

I intend to utilize this image for the Print Zero Studios Print Exchange that is coming up in July 2010. Artists will submit editions of 15 prints, then we shuffle them all up and each contributing artists receive 13 different prints from the other participating artists in return. Print Zero Studios retains 2 of the prints for their collection and usually organizes a traveling exhibit of the work.

Youth With Head Ribbon

This sketch of a Roman bronze is from a statue that dates back to the beginning of the first century A.D. The bronze is a copy of an earlier Greek original from the 5th century B.C.that was thought to be a funerary statue.

I am currently interested in studying statues from antiquity and creating a series of prints based on these drawings. It's a means of exploring some of the early examples of Western art and the idealized human form depicted in these artworks.

I'm fascinated by the way woodblock prints lend themselves to the depiction of flat shapes, which can be be manipulated to achieve the illusion of form and dimension. Printmaking is always a way for me to expand my repertoire of mark making and give a particular character to the subjects that I depict.

I have already started carving a block based on this image which will be the first woodblock print in the series, and may decide to do some drypoint prints as well. I will post an image of the woodblock soon.

Landscapes real and imagined

A new woodblock print, carved into poplar and then printed on Japanese paper. It is inspired by the landscape of the Pacific Northwest where I live. The size is roughly 6 x 10 inches. I have been playing with the idea of adding more layers and some color, but I like the simplicity and rustic quality of this image. It reflects the nature of the cabin and the landscape.

When I look at this image I wonder who lives in this cabin and whether it depicts a time long ago, or just a secluded nook somewhere today. I'm not sure if the tiny black strokes depict grass and plants that are growing or trees that were cut down in some industrious endeavor that has altered the landscape.