The Sky Is Falling..Into Place

Nothing adds life to a woodcut sky more than a good rainbow roll. Even though not much of the sky will show, that gentle gradation will, I hope, sell the end of a long day for a weary traveler stopping for the night. When I get all of the darker brick colors in, I think the sky will pop. One
 

Gray Area

 Usually, printing is done lightest to darkest. I have found that it is beneficial to"reset" a bring after a bold color goes down. This gray was originally going to be color #2, but I knew it would affect the bright red. I also knew that the colors to come would.need a buffer after the dark  red. So here is a dark gray that serves as a buffer, but also will be part of the stone work.

Light It Up

I was pretty pleasantly surprised by the neon effect. I've long wanted to recreate neon in a print, but never had the patience to really study neon. There's a real secret to it. Most of the secret is color, but no small part of it is patience in cutting. This print has required more Xacto cutting than about any print I've done before.

When the dark red went down, I think I did a little dance. That glow really poked my eyes, even though it's just an optical illusion.

Checking In

It's been quite a year. I think it's time to reach back a few years and take a stab at a print I did in 2013. Will it be regret....or redemption? 🤔

 

Woodsmoke & Rustling Leaves

As a lifelong resident of Western New York, I'm increasingly fascinated with house seasons prepare us for the season to come. A month ago I was still grabbing fistfuls of tomatoes at the market and swearing that I would continue barbecuing until Christmas. But then, one day when the light is low and the leaves and mum's shock you with their brightness, and the furnace kicks in, the mind wanders to a nice pot of chicken and dumplings, or maybe a baked apple, or some cinnamon roasted nuts. I wanted this print to capture that precise moment, the threshold between abundance and hibernation.

The print was suggested by my wife, Amy, who wanted some seasonal art for the walls. I'm not handy at much around the house, so I was happy to oblige.

There's some symbolism in the print. The scene exists only in my mind, inspired by any bungalows I've seen through the years. The brick is a slight not to MCM of which I'm a big fan. The slate steps are for my dad, a tileman, as well as my childhood home with it's big stone sidewalks. The door and the shakes are a memory of our old house in South Buffalo, lost to us during the recession. A beautiful but troubled house, it haunts my dreams (but is in good hands now).

It is, above all, an invitation to all of the goodness of that fall season. Grab. Cup of cider and. Donut, and rest yourself on the steps awhile. Not too long, though.

Winter is approaching.