Wednesday, December 14, 2011

"Usurper" in the house...

I considered breaking this up into three posts... both to create a prolonged dramatic ending and, honestly, to have a few posts in the queue to carry me through the distracting end-of-year chaos ahead. But the Problem Child print is STILL a problem... STILL not dry enough for the last ink layer... so there are enough delays around here already. Let's finish this little piece, shall we?


I shouldn't have worried that the previous pass was too dark, as this dark green went down on top of it and still left room for more.


Which I obligingly added. I could have stopped at this point, but you know me. "Just one more color" is the usual mantra around here. I finished this linocut with a dark brown... although I think it looks black in the photo.

"Usurper," reduction linocut, 7 x 5 inches. Edition TBD.

Along my "usual" walking route are several nest boxes intended for use by mountain bluebirds. Early each spring I see bluebirds popping in and out of almost all of them, but a few weeks later the tree swallows arrive and displace a few pairs.

I mutter "usurpers" at the assertive tree swallows and chastise the bluebirds for not holding their ground, but secretly I admire the spunk of swallows. From the moment the last one departs in the autumn I am waiting, waiting, waiting for their return.

9 comments:

  1. Very nice. The final dark has made the print.

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  2. That looks fantastic. Love the bird sitting above the frame.

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  3. This looked a winner from the beginning. Gorgeous and unique. I love it.

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  4. Gorgeous Sherrie! I have really enjoyed watching this print evolve and hearing your thoughts. Thank you.

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  5. This is a winner! I really like the colours that you have used in this and the way the working outside the frame is developing.

    I miss the swallows too and wait for their return.

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  6. Again another quality piece and beautifully printed.

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  7. I agree; the colors and the convincing drawing/gesture of the bird make for a good work.

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  8. My goodness! Thanks, everyone, for the votes of approval. I'm considering tackling this idea (or something similar) again in a larger format... once I get my paper headaches sorted out. About which more later.

    I'm delighted the little usurper resonates with so many people.

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  9. Oh yeah! It's such a treat to see your work evolve. You are amazing...

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Linocut in Progress: Wait. Did I really finish in fewer than 10 steps?

Carrying on with the snowy linocut in progress. I do feel like I'm tempting fate just a tiny bit by imagining fresh snowfall, but here ...