And the clouds revealed…

Elizabeth Busey. Hope Despite the Evidence. Linoleum Reduction Print, 17 x 25in, 2013.

In the last post I related the saga of my ruining a block and having to start over. This print is the final result of a new block, new paper and many more hours of carving. On the previous block I carved away those crucial corn stalks that extend over the water. Without them, I don’t think your brain would have been able to make sense of things.

One of the things I wanted to accomplish with this print was the use of both blue and orange — tough to do when you are using only one block. I used a frisket (professional print speak for a brown paper mask) to protect the areas that are orange as I worked on the blue water/sky. Then I carved away all of the blue water (except the corn stubble!) and printed a shocking layer of orange over all of the land. More blue layers over the orange ink created the illusion of soil. Finally, a concentrated toasty brown brought out the corn stubble patterning.

This print was debuted during the Bloomington Open Studios Tour in late April. It was great to welcome both friends and new art lovers to my home and studio. Intrepid visitors made their way from my living room gallery, down two narrow flights of stairs to my basement studio. On the second day I even managed to work on my latest print (to be revealed next time!) and give visitors the printmaker’s experience of “Aha!” when you pull the paper off the block.

May has begun cold and rainy here in the Midwest, but in Bloomington, IN you can visit the (warm and dry) downtown Bloomington Bagel Company and see an exhibit of my travel-related work that I’ve entitled “Oh, the places you’ll go!” in honor of Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss).  BBC makes great bagels and is a tremendous asset to our community.

“Oh, the places you’ll go!” exhibit at the Bloomington Bagel Company.

Safe travels wherever you go this summer!