Big Water

I just finished this print. I use the term "finished" lightly.....not sure what I think of it. In the end it did not match the image in my head. I know sometimes things happen like that. It is called BIG WATER. If you have any feedback let me know...

Dancing Raven

I have always liked how this print is so raw in terms of the cuts. It was hardly sketched out on the blocks(3 of them) and then I just began ripping into it. After it was cut and proofed I left it....for almost 10 years in my studio until my wife asked me about it. By that time I had forgotten I had cut it. I got the blocks out and cleaned them up and began the edition of 100.

The Cedar Tree

I just recently found my sketches for this print. I originally drew it after a winter walk on the Cascade river. I saw a White Cedar tree with most of its roots exposed next to the river bed. That was in 1998. I did not print this til 2008. Sometimes ideas just need to percolate a bit...:)

Room to Breathe

This print came to me as I looked over a ridgeline near Grand Marais MN. I wondered what a print of mainly sky would be like. So I tried it. To my surprise this has become one my most popular prints.

The Happy Ottter

This wood block is too ling to fit into my press. So this block needs to be hand rubbed. Generally it takes about 1 hour to get this on the paper. By the end of it my right wrist is very tired!

Barn Owl

This is a soapstone cut. It is similar to a woodcut but I use different tools with carbide tips to grind into the stone. The block is too thick for the press so I use a Japanese baren to transfer the image to the paper.

After the Rain

I have been working on this print for about 6 months. It doesn't really take that long to create an image but I usually draw it on the block, cut it, proof it on the press and then let it sit while I work on various other images. I like to look at it hanging on the wall and eventually will have time to finish it. We see so many soaring eagles on the North Shore I wanted to try and capture the simplicity of their beauty without introducing too many details. The trick for me was to try and make it look like a bald eagle without adding too much color. In the end I decided to have the yellow feet be the only bright color in the whole print. I have titled this print "After the Rain"--I can smell the cedar trees now, heavy with the fresh scent of a summer rain.

This is a 2 block sequence. Both blocks have been cleaned and are ready for printing.

The oil based inks have been mixed and are ready.

The cloud block inked and locked into the press.

The cloud block has been printed--you can see the image on the paper that is on the press.
The eagle block is inked and ready to print.

As I begin the edition the prints will hang until dry.
Depending on humidity it could be a couple of weeks now that it is summer

This was the final proof before I began the "official" printing of the edition.
This print is called an artist proof or AP.
I will keep it as the standard bearer to compare the quality of each print
to make sure the quality is the same for every print in the edition.

Ciscoes On The Run

Here is a series of pictures of a print called Ciscoes On The Run. After I have printed the dark blue color I add the light blue with watercolor paints
(Ciscoes are native to the great lakes and are part of the Salmonid family. They sometimes run in schools and are sought after as table fare. On the North Shore they are generally smoked unless you are lucky enough to find some fresh at the fish market in Grand Marais.) .

Here is the print after it comes off the press and has dried for a few weeks and is ready to have the watercolor added.

The watercolor has been added and the print is now finished--now it has to be signed and the edition number added.

They will now hang for a few days in my studio until they are fully dried and then will be ready for framing.

The Bear..continued

OK..so I figured to help make him look more like a bear I needed to put him in some type of context such as a forest. So I cut a second block with birch trees, leaves and grass. It is getting better. I am now playing around with colors before I commit to 2 or 3 more blocks that would bring in the final color. I use watercolors to help me in the process. Here is where I am as of right now. I also took a couple of shots of the actual wood blocks. I may not finish this before the Grand Marais Art Festival but who knows what will happen. I could hit on something quickly....

The Bear

Currently I am trying to create a print from a very quick drawing. Truly most of it was in my head. Here is the Bear alone. I was going for something simple and raw. But I am told by those who shall remain nameless that currently he looks like a combination of a porcupine and a pig--but definitely not a bear ;)
Back to the drawing board...

Cedar Tree #3

Whew! I originally cut this block 3 years ago and was underwhelmed by what I saw when it was proofed on the press. It lacked any substance. But the tide turned when I was on a hike with my family on the North Shore this late winter. I finally realized I needed some lower bare branches and a lot more rocks within the large rock structure. I simply drew some more lines on the block with a pencil and began cutting. Once I was done I added the colors I had picked long ago. What you see is the finished framed piece. Finally. Hard to believe it took that long....