In my first year as a full time artist (vs teaching full time) I focused on making prints and expanding my knowledge of process. Woodblock prints and Solarplate etching consumed me. One of the first woodblocks I carved in this new life as a full time artist was of the Horton Light out in Southold, NY. I was asked to collaborate with nine NYSATA members on a BIG INK piece for the Annual Conference. My plate depicted one of ten Long Island lighthouses that were printed together in October of 2021. A trip out to the light to photograph it and to experience the site, the beach, the ways the clouds come in, was worth the effort and very exciting. I later printed an edition of my single plate at the Art League of Long Island. This image of Horton Light was exhibited at the Alex Ferrone Gallery in the Spring of 2022.
Horton Point Lighthouse, Canfield Ink on Rives BFK, printed at the Art League of Long Island 2022 Photo Credit: Alex Ferrone
In 2022, my conceptual collaboration with Fine Art Photographer, Alex Ferrone, was accepted into the Hecksher Museum of Art’s BIG INK event. Alex and I shared ideas, photographs and images. Separated by times and space and gas prices, I carved our block and kept in touch with my partner on this piece titled “Peace.” It was printed in July.
At the same time, I was carving an old piece of wood into “Hosta Genome” reaching back into my beloved image of a dried up old Hosta leaf in my garden and responding to the scale of the wood and the excitement of owning a power carving tool! I couldn’t wait to use it knowing that I could achieve exceptional fluidity of line. I printed most of my proofs at the Art League of Long Island who kindly allowed me to use their large motorized press. The exhibited print was printed by hand in my hayloft studio during a sweltering heat wave. Deadline’s a deadline!
“Genome Hosta” 5th state Woodblock Hand Printed on Masa Paper , 2022
The last large block I carved in 22 was for the BIG INK event at Firefly Artists gallery in August. “Divine Dance” is an image of an oversized leaf curling beautifully as it aged. At 63” x 24” it is the tallest block I have carved. 63” is my height and it was intended to be a golden rectangle but the wood I purchased was too thick so I bounced over to an older piece of furniture grade plywood I had and began to carve. The increments are measured according to the Fibonacci sequence of numbers just as in the composition of “Peace”. At some point I overheard someone, perhaps Lyell, say “black is your friend, you don’t have to carve the entire plate.” As I carved divine dance out on my deck in the beautiful warm air, rotating my plate to avoid a sunburn, I remembered that and this piece benefits from large areas of black.
Woodblock in Progress for Divine Dance
Divine Dance, a 63” tall Woodblock Print at Big Ink Event, Firefly Artists Gallery, Northport, NY
