Carving the Monarch Butterfly.
Carving the Dragonfly.
I set up a group of wood type blocks on the press and printed the underside of the letters. Printing this provided a subtle textured printed surface for the metal and wood type text.
Wood type form locked into place for printing. This was the final print run for this broadside.
Completed print.
I have been a gardener for many years. The work of gardening is therapeutic; good for the soul and the body. It prompts me to think constantly about the environment and what I can do to be a good steward. My husband and I do not have any grass in our yard, we compost, we don’t use chemicals, we have a rain barrel and monitor our use of water. Additionally, we focus on planting native plants, particularly pollinators. I recently completed a new broadside using relief blocks, metal, and wood type. I also used a quote by one of my favorite poets - Mary Oliver.
Carving the Bee.
Relief blocks set up and locked into place on the press, ready to print.
Metal type in Twentieth Century Modern set up and locked into place for printing.
Detail of the completed print.
“Attention is the beginning of devotion”, a quote by Mary Oliver is so true. Humankind needs to pay attention to the creatures and ecosystems of the natural world. We are a part of the interconnected web of life.
This print will be in the upcoming exhibition Degrees of Commitment, Climate, Ecosystems, Society; at the Arrowmont School of Crafts this Fall. Needless to say, I am thrilled!