Ok! Here's Letting Go, my reduction print. Three colors plus white: yellow-orange, alizarine crimson, thalo blue (w/ a touch of white for opacity -- I was getting more of a black than a blue from the under colors).Inspiration for this piece stems from a dream I had this summer. This is Will's senior year at Mudd and after that he'll be going out into the wide world on his own. My dream dealt with taking a little Billy to the bathroom and losing him. He didn't come out, so I went in and he wasn't in there anymore. My dreaming self realized he was out in the wide world all alone and I'd never find my little boy again.
Talk about getting hit over the head with the clue stick. :-j So I began planning a woodcut to commemmorate the impending event. And not just any woodcut but a reduction block, so that when the print is done, the block will be also.
A cathartic experience.
There are 16 prints in all (still printing the last few), but not all of them are what I'd call good. So the final edition may be smaller. Just so long as there is one for Will and one for me. ;-]
3 comments:
Ellen, it came out great! I know what you mean about thalo blue. I love it, but it's a powerful pigment and has a mind of its own - doesn't always play well with others. I liked hearing the story behind this print. It seems truly fitting (and poignant) that you used the reduction method. I love the little symbol on the "bathroom" door. Best to you and Will.
Ellen, It's beautiful. And it looks like it was a whole lotta work, but it's really, really nice. You did a great job, and I'm impressed with your ability to "see" what it was going to look like along the way in your planning process. I can never get my brain around a reduction block, so I'll have to map one out on paper and talk to you about it for some tips. Great print - Congratulations!
I really love this piece and the symbolism behind it. It is very powerful!
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