A new year— and the bear-old urge to hibernate
January 2023
The first month of the year is drawing to a close —whoosh!— just like that. I've been longing for snowbound days, for some lingering reason to hibernate with books, an eiderdown and little else— but winter in Brooklyn persists in its abnormally warm days— and zero snow.
A week ago I began a new class at the printmaking studio. The technique is called drypoint, wherein the artist scribes a plate directly with metal tools; no acid, no resist or chemicals involved, just directly marring of the surface to create burrs and lines that will hold ink.
Drypoint on plexiglas was my first foray into this type of printmaking, and it led me directly to Manhattan Graphics Center by way of a grant application back in 2011. I worked my first plate for class this weekend (above), and I'm excited to see how it prints. The immediacy of making a plate in this way is addictive; I remember that much.
Also addictive: the way in which wiping a print of this kind becomes a form of painting, an art form all its own.
Earlier this month I began reading Daybook, the journal of an artist, by Anne Truitt. While I cannot claim to have any affinity for her work (having never seen any aside from on Google), this written work is an absolute marvel. From my point of view as an artist, I don't think I've ever read anything so relatable. Beyond that, it is strong, gentle, and wise. It is forgiving, and visionary in an everyday sort of way.
It strikes me as a book I would enjoy whether or not I was an artist, and I recommend it.
I'll leave you with a view of a copper plate etching I finished earlier this month: The Dome of Heaven. The scene is from a photo I took last winter of the horses munching their breakfast hay our in the snow. It's a scene that could have been from any of the years since my family first moved to the Farm, and I find it impossibly endearing and cozy, in spite of the atmosphere of pervading cold. It reminds me of the farm, and my family, and all the horses we've had in the family over the years. There are prints of this, as well as some new ink paintings in my shop, in case you're interested. This first month of the year has been fantastic on that front —I've sold nine pieces already— a fact which makes me both thrilled and grateful that my work is connecting with people. Thanks for reading, and until next time— xx ~Liz