Linocut in Progress: Did You See That?

Put on your deerstalkers and get out your magnifying glasses, because we're back to trying to sleuth out the order of operations on this small reduction linocut when we are in possession of insufficient documentation.

Our last clue we bravely (perhaps rashly) named Step 5. Here are a bunch of those prints at this stage... all politely waiting for whatever came next.

Reduction linocuts at Step 5. Maybe.

The next image I have in the chronology of my photos is this one, which seems to be the next rollup. We're back to a blue ink... although this one sports a bit more gray.

Step 6 rollup

And then I have this somewhat helpful photo comparing this stage with the next. 

Steps 6 and 7. Or are they?

But here's something tricky that happened somewhere in here, also. If you take a look at the birds' beaks, you'll notice there's a gray crescent that has been added somewhere along the line. I imagine that was a bit of spot inking.

Here's a better look at it.

Technically Step 7.5, I guess

I have a photo of the Step 7.5 rollup, but I do have this photo, which appears to be the final stage of dark ink.

Step 8 rollup

It's not exactly a black... but it reads that way in the end.

"Did You See That?"
Reduction linocut, 5" x 7"
© Sherrie York

So! We might not have found all the clues, but we deduced enough to declare the case solved. It might not have been elementary, dear Watson.... What started out as a "simple" image did, as so many of them do, turn out to be a bit more complex. But we can file this one under "Figured It Out Eventually" and move on to the next case!

SWLA's "The Natural Eye" at the Mall Galleries, London

 Um... so this happened:

What's that big red dot next to my chickadees?

I have two linocuts on exhibit at The Natural Eye, the annual exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists at the Mall Galleries in London. Just getting into the exhibition was a thrill, as it's the biggest wildlife show in the UK and beyond. 

And then last night I received a text message from an artist friend who lives in New York and also participates in this exhibition. He happened to be hiking in Montana and sent me a photo of the mountains with the comment, "Congratulations on your award at the SWLA show." 

Um. What? 

He had apparently been in touch with another artist colleague who was at the preview and awards reception last night, and she told him I'd won an award. 

I thought surely there was some mistake. But, nope. It's on their website, and today the director of exhibitions at the Mall Galleries sent me an official congratulatory email for receiving the The Head & Heart Award

Over time, the natural world has become more absorbing, astonishing and important to us. It’s a place apart from the noise of daily life and somewhere to reflect and recharge. So we give this award to the artist whose work most reflects these feelings and thoughts, moving our hearts and our heads, and allowing us to see the familiar in a fresh and unfamiliar way. 

The appropriate Britishism to use here is "gobsmacked." With so much outstanding work in the exhibition it seemed impossible that my little chickadee, "Rainy Days and Mondays," would receive such important notice. But there you have it. I'm honored and grateful. Thank you to all the show organizers and sponsors. And thanks to Amie Haslen at Hare and Tortoise who did my framing for the exhibition and provided this photo of the installation!