Upcoming Exhibitions!

I've got another new piece underway, although I'm not doing a great job of documentation. I'll put something together eventually, but in the meantime....hey! There are some shows underway and coming up soon!

Birds in Art

The flagship exhibition of the Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin is the highlight of every year. I'm delighted that "A Certain Light" was selected for the show and will subsequently be accessioned into the museum's permanent collection. Birds in Art opened September 1 and continues through December 1.

"A Certain Light," reduction linocut © Sherrie York

Society of Animal Artists

The SAA's 64th juried annual members exhibition, Art and the Animal, opened September 1 at the Sioux City Public Museum, Iowa. The show continues through November 30. And... hmmm... look what's on the cover of the exhibition catalog. (Catalogs can be ordered online at the SAA website.)

Society of American Graphic Artists

SAGA's 89th Annual Members Exhibition will run October 22 to November 3 at the Arts Center on Governors Island, New York. 

"In the Shallows," reduction linocut © Sherrie York

Also.... I've a solo exhibition coming up at Blue Sage Center for the Arts in Paonia, Colorado, opening at the end of October. More details on this soon!

The September Rollercoaster

It's been too long since I've shared anything here at Brush and Baren, but, ooph. What a rollercoaster of a September I had! Put your hands in the air and ride along with me....

The UP: 

I was able to attend the opening of Birds in Art at the Woodson Art Museum for the first time since 2019. I knew it would be good to be at this superb venue with the tribe of bird artists gathered once again, but I don't think I realized just how good it would be. My poor pandemic-weary heart got a much-needed energy boost. 

Woodson Art Museum entrance

Visitors taking in the view at Birds in Art

The DOWN:

Unfortunately, the day after I returned home I realized I felt a bit... odd. Achy and congested. Sure enough, That Wretched Virus had caught up with me. My symptoms were never terrible... I've certainly had much more difficult respiratory/sinus infections in my life. But holy cow, the fatigue! I couldn't do much more than sleep for the first week, and it was four weeks before I really felt myself again. 

The UP:

Luckily I was feeling probably 80% by the end of September, just in time for the reception for my solo exhibition, "Moments & Reflections," on view now at the Wendell Gilley Museum in Southwest Harbor, Maine. The next day I also enjoyed getting together with some enthusiastic participants in an introductory relief printing workshop. 

Exhibition views at the Wendell Gilley Museum

The DOWN:

I intended to dawdle a bit around Mount Desert Island before I headed back home the following day, but unfortunately the weather turned quite windy. There was also a known issue with my car that was scheduled for repair the next day, but of course it decided to act up again and I decided the best plan was to just bolt back down the coast. (Plus I still wasn't feeling entirely up to par.)

The UP:

This week I am finally feeling more or less myself again... just in time to enjoy some spectacular autumn color here on the Pemaquid Peninsula. The manic nature of summer is finally giving way to a more measured pace (although somehow my calendar isn't getting any less busy) and I am looking forward to some good time in the studio over the next few months. 

Autumn color on the Pemaquid River.

Online Puzzles with the Woodson Art Museum!

Some months ago the Woodson Art Museum, home of the spectacular annual exhibition, Birds in Art, starting sharing online jigsaw puzzles of work in their permanent collection. 

I have been deeply honored to have several of my pieces accessioned there over the years, so imagine my great delight when some of them started appearing as puzzles! There are presently four of my images on the Woodson puzzle page (right now they are the last four on the page, scroll down!), along with dozens of others. 

Here are the direct links to "my" puzzles. You can change the number and size of the pieces, as well as invite other people to play with you... so... have fun!

Cruisin' - (American White Pelican)

A Tern of the Tide (Common Tern)

Shower With a Friend (Wood Ducks)

Oops. I guess I don't have a big image of this.
Ripples (mallard)

It's that time... Birds in Art and Project Postcard

 September approaches, and with it comes the annual delight that is the Birds in Art exhibition at the Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin. 

Birds in Art is the museum's flagship show, and a touchstone exhibition for wildlife artists around the world. It is always such an honor to have one's work selected, and indeed one of my pieces will be included in the show when it opens on September 11. 

But before the show begins, there's always the fun task of creating a couple of new little pieces for the Project Postcard event that accompanies the opening. Birds in Art artists create and donate 4 x 6-inch artworks which are then sold for a flat amount. Funds raised through Project Postcard are used to purchase work from the exhibition for the museum's permanent collection.

I am always happy to participate in the event, particularly since my own work has been purchased via the Project on more than one occasion. Of course I can't show you what I've submitted before the sale happens... but I can give you a hint. Any guesses?

Printmaking workshop and presentation at the Wendell Gilley Museum, Maine

The 2020 edition of the Woodson Art Museum's flagship Birds in Art exhibition is on national tour, and hooray! It's in Maine at the Wendell Gilley Museum in Southwest Harbor. My linocut, A Tern of the Tide, is included in the exhibition, so I am delighted to be presenting some workshops and a talk about my process at the Gilley on July 16 and 17.

July 16: Single color intro to relief printing workshops. Choose either 9:00-noon or 1:00-4:00. 

July 17: A live presentation about my process that will also be streamed via Zoom. 7:00pm

Details and registration information available on the Gilley Museum's website.

Project Postcard in the time of pandemic...

'Way back in March, when everything started to go pear-shaped, many organizations with big annual events on the horizon were obliged to peer into the murky future and make decisions about the rest of the year. Each change or cancellation was painful, but one of the toughest ones for me was the weekend shenanigans events at the Woodson Art Museum's annual Birds in Art exhibition. 

Birds in Art is one of the most prestigious wildlife art exhibitions in the world, and I have been lucky enough to have my work selected again this year. The exhibition is always a beautiful celebration of all things avian, and the gathering of artists from around the globe for the September opening is a highlight of every year.

This year the exhibition will open to the public on schedule (with precautions in place, of course) on September 12. But there will be no "Artrageous Weekend" festivities... no gathering of the tribe. (Insert sad face emoji of your choice here.)

But some activities will still go on, albeit in a different format. Each year Birds in Art artists donate 4 x 6-inch art "postcards," which are mounted on the walls of a secret room. Anyone who wants to play pays $50 for a chance to go in to the room for 1 minute and select a piece that appeals to them. Signatures are all on the back, so there's no way to know for certain if a piece is by a particular favorite artist. 

Funds raised through Project Postcard are used to buy work from the exhibition for the museum's permanent collection, so it's win-win-win! Buyers get a little artwork gem, several artists get their work purchased, and the museum gets new work for their collection. Full disclosure, I myself have had work purchased for the Woodson Museum's collection through Project Postcard, so I am always happy to contribute. This year the museum is having to forego the "secret room" aspect, but the clever staff have worked out a "contactless" system. Hooray! 

Here are my two submissions for this year; distorted, of course, to keep them at least a semi-secret for a few more days until they're winging their way to new homes. 

And speaking of migration... Birds in Art 2020!

"A Tern of the Tide," reduction linocut © Sherrie York

It's been a season of disappointment, as workshops and exhibitions everywhere have been cancelled. But this past week brought a spark of delight as I learned that "A Tern of the Tide" has been accepted for the 2020 edition of the Woodson Art Museum's annual Birds in Art exhibition.

Birds in Art is the one of the most prestigious exhibitions of wildlife art worldwide, and I am always humbled and honored when my work is selected. 

The show opens September 12 and will run through November 29.

Birds in Art 2019!

One of the highlights of any year (but especially of those years in which I have a piece in the show) is the annual Birds in Art exhibition at the Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin. Birds in Art is the museum's flagship juried show, highlighting work by some of the world's best wildlife artists.

Of the approximately 130 artists with work in this year's exhibition, 73 attended the opening. Some travelled from as far away as Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

The opening weekend is always a stellar event, and a fun opportunity to visit with friends, colleagues, and the amazingly supportive and enthusiastic citizens of Wausau and its surrounding communities. In addition, colored-pencil artist Alan Woollett of England was named this year's Master Wildlife Artist. Birds in Art includes a mini show-within-the-show of fifteen of Alan's pieces, and Saturday visitors were treated to his presentation under the big tent in the museum's sculpture garden.

At the Saturday morning public opening. Find the linocut on the wall in this picture!

Funny thing about trying to shoot a panorama when people are moving around.
One tends to get some funny camera effects. Anyway... there are actually TWO
linocuts on the opposite wall... mine in the corner and Sue Medaris's by the door.

A better look at that corner, except missing Sue Medaris's piece.
To my left, Chris Maynard, to the right Paul Rhymer.

Patron dinner... only half of us in this room!

Alan Woollett's Saturday morning talk.

An added bonus for me (and hopefully for exhibition visitors) is a short video put together about the process for my piece, Four on the Fence, which is included in the show. The video can be seen on the Woodson Art Museum's YouTube channel, or on the museum's app. Or right here:

Birds in Art continues at the Woodson Art Museum until December 1, so don't miss it!

The September Shows: Linocuts everywhere!

I've enjoyed a little respite from the crazy pace of the summer, catching up with some of the myriad tasks that were neglected when my schedule hit Mach 10.

Some of what was happening in all the summer craziness was the framing and shipping of work for three major exhibitions, all happening in September. Which is almost now!

"Four on the Fence," reduction linocut © Sherrie York

The Woodson Art Museum's flagship exhibition is one of the highlights of the wildlife art year. Birds in Art 2019 includes the work of 114 international artists, and will honor British colored pencil artist Alan Woollett as this year's Master Wildlife Artist. Show opens to the public on Saturday, September 7 and will continue through December 1.

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It's my great honor to have been invited to participate in the Susan K. Black Foundation's exhibition "In the Audubon Tradition," opening at the Cincinnati Museum Center on September 12 and continuing through January 5, 2020. The show includes work by 80 of the top artists in the wildlife art field...  whew!

(This list embiggenable with a click)

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The Society of Animal Artist's 59th "Art and the Animal" exhibition opens this year at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas on September 20. Show continues through January 5, 2020. Selections from the show (including my piece, Chasing Daylight) will go on national tour following the event's close at the Briscoe.

"Chasing Daylight," reduction linocut © Sherrie York

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Also, don't forget it's your last chance to see "Under Pressure: Birds in the Printed Landscape" at the Museum of American Bird Art in Canton, Massachusetts. Show closes September 15, so don't delay!

"Dinner Party," reduction linocut © Sherrie York

Wow? What just happened?

My submissions for this year's Project Postcard event at the Woodson Art Museum.

It's a cloudy and cool-ish day here in midcoast Maine, with a few rain showers moving through. Sure, we're still having days of heat and humidity, but yesterday when I drove to town I noticed two large maple trees with a distinctly orange tinge to their outermost leaves.

Summer is winding down.

While I know some people try to avoid thoughts of summer's end, this year I feel inclined to embrace it. I gave myself a rather ridiculous schedule these last three months and by golly I'm tired.

There's still plenty to do... and I'm even starting to put things into place in my 2020 schedule already... but the pace seems more reasonable. I should probably emphasize the word seems, since I know looks can be deceiving.

But I've managed to squeak out some hours in the studio the last couple of weeks. Both projects were "secrets," however, so I don't have much to show at the moment. The photo here is a distorted view of my linocut submissions for this year's Project Postcard event at the opening of Birds in Art at the Woodson Art Museum.

Birds in Art artists donate small (4x6 inch) artworks which are installed in a secret location. Patrons pay $50 for the opportunity to spend one minute (!!) in the company of the many lovely (and anonymous) pieces and to choose one to take home. The museum uses the Project Postcard funds to purchase works from the exhibition for its permanent collection... a win-win-win for museum, artists, and collectors.

In addition to small print projects I have finally managed to ship the last of my works to major fall exhibitions, so whew! I can check that off the to-do list, also.

So what's next? Oooooh! A big, not-so-secret project! I've been asked to be the poster artist for the 2020 World Migratory Bird Day events! It's an exciting opportunity, although a little bit daunting due to the short production timeline. But I had my first design conference with the organizer yesterday, and I'll be jumping in to some rough sketches the rest of this week.

And of course I've got linos on my mind... I'd like to get some smaller works going before the end of the year... although right now my brain seems stuck in ideas that demand a larger scale. Hopefully my creativity will start cooperating in more practical ways soon.

So stay with me as I switch gears and head back into the studio season. Make sure your wood pile is well-stacked and your tea supplies ready to go before the cold arrives! We've got some linos to make...

Three crazy weeks, and then back to the studio

Alright... where the heck were we before I started running all over the universe again?

Yes. Duck linocut in progress. Hm. Howzabout I share a little about where I've been the last couple of weeks, and then we'll get back to work, okay?

First: Birds in Art!!!! This is not just a legitimate excuse for being out of the studio, it's the best reason of the year for packing a bag and a rubber duck* and heading for Wisconsin.

My linocut, "Watching + Waiting," hanging in august company at
Birds in Art. (Yes, that's a Robert Bateman oil on the wall to the left.)

If you've never been to the Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, all I can say is that you've been missing out on some of the most inspiring exhibitions and community-minded events to be found. Anywhere. Trust me. Just go there.

And if you go in the autumn you will find the walls filled with their flagship exhibition, Birds in Art. It's one of the most prestigious wildlife art shows in the world, and it's always an honor to have work juried in to this exhibition. And, wow! I was surprised and touched to have work included in two other exhibits currently on view there: Regal Bearing: Bird Portraiture (from the museum's permanent collection), and a fun little collection of pages from the museum's guest books... including two I created during my residencies in 2018 and 2013.

I was barely home from Birds in Art when I turned around and headed downeast to Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park and the Wendell Gilley Museum. The Gilley is a tiny gem of a museum, centered around a large collection of Wendell Gilley's bird carvings, but which also presents exhibitions of related work in paint, print, and sculpture.

I visited the Gilley to open conversations about upcoming collaborations... I'm excited to share what we're cooking up, but that will have to wait just a bit.

The day after I returned from the Gilley Museum I was up to my elbows in framing for another show, which I installed yesterday at the Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth, Maine. It's a challenging space to photograph... a long, narrow gallery with floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall, so you'll just have to go there to see it for yourself. Show runs through October 28.

Whew! This morning I was finally back in the studio slinging ink, so you can expect an update from there in the next day or two.

*Oh. I suppose the rubber duck reference deserves an explanation. A few years ago the Woodson Museum staff gave Birds in Art artists a rubber duck and asked us to include it in social media posts. My ducky still travels... in fact this year our unfortunate travel delays enroute to Wausau had a silver lining: Ducky met our airline captain and got his Junior Pilot wings. You just never know where he'll turn up next. Kinda like a certain printmaker.  #birdsinartducky

Linocut in Progress: Sort of...

The best laid plans, and all that. It's September, and while one might hope that the end of summer would mean a slow down in the schedule, one would be engaging the aforementioned hope in vain.

I did get a fourth color pass printed on the current linocut in progress. It was, as I think I predicted, a fairly straightforward transparent blue.

Reduction linocut in progress, Step 4 revealed!

Instagram followers saw this sneak peek on the press... I think last Thursday. And yes, it's been an entire week without additional printing, but guess what? The ink is still damp. (Hello, Maine.) It's okay to print, I've just been a bit preoccupied. First the print:

The color looks streaky, but it's not. Wet ink, uneven table surface, bad photography.
The trifecta of horribleness.

And now for the excuses.

Friday/Saturday: Midcoast Audubon Lobster Bake Fundraiser. One day to shop and make fish chowder and cream puffins for 75 people, the next day to cook and serve lobsters, clams, corn, and potatoes in addition to aforementioned chowdah and dessert. (I bet you aren't on a board of directors that requires this kind of duty.)

Mmm. Lobster, corn, and taters smoked and steamed in a bed of seaweed.

Sunday: Studio and home visitors.

Monday: Prep for upcoming presentations. Attempt to run errands but... oh. Holiday. How rude. Do a little carving (!!!!), but not enough to print. Continue to fight ants in the studio.

Tuesday: Run all the errands not accomplished Monday and meet with a collector in Rockland.

Today: Laundry, haircut, and packing... because it's time for..... BIRDS IN ART! Tomorrow I'm off to Wisconsin for the opening of the exhibition at the Woodson Art Museum.

A ducky confab at the suitcase means it's time for Birds in Art!

And there went the week. Next week isn't much better in terms of available studio time– More visitors, more meetings, and framing for a show that I will hang September 19 at Maine Audubon's Gilsland Farm Nature Center.

Honestly. When someone tells you how wonderful it must be to be an artist, able to sit around and make prints all day long, send them to me. I'll set them straight. All of these other activities (ok, ok... all except the lobster bake) are part of the job, they just don't involve making art.

Hopefully I'll be able to sneak in and get the next color printed before I have to take off again (next Thursday), keep your fingers crossed for me!

But first... I'm off to see if the last item of clothing is dry enough to put in the suitcase, and triple-check that I packed my toothbrush. Stay tuned!

Birds in Art and the big Project Postcard reveal

How was Birds in Art? It was great, of course! The opening weekend of the Woodson Art Museum's flagship show is always a highlight of the year. Let me show you!

The museum galleries were glowing when we arrived for a preview of the exhibition.  Take a look at one of the show galleries and see if you can find a linocut on the wall... (You can embiggen the photo by clicking on it.)

The quiet before the crush

The quiet time was short-lived, however. Check out the crowd at the Friday night opening reception! (And this is just one of the 5 galleries of the exhibition.)

Did you find the lino in the panorama photo at the top? Here's a hint in case you missed it:

That's a stunning relief engraving by Nicholas Wilson on the left
and the cut feather work of Chris Maynard on the right.
You'll have to figure out whose piece is in the middle all by yourself.

This year the Woodson Art Museum named Wisconsin sculptor Don Rambadt
the 2017 Master Wildlife Artist. 

A few weeks ago I teased Brush and Baren readers with a distorted image of two small prints I completed for this year's Project Postcard. Artists invited to exhibit at Birds in Art have the opportunity to donate one or two (or a dozen) 4 x 6" artworks, but asked not to sign them on the front of the image. The anonymous artworks are mounted in a "secret" room, and buyers are given just 60 seconds to enter the room and choose their prize. Proceeds from the project are used to purchase additional works from the exhibition for the museum's permanent collection.

I can reveal my offerings now that they've found new homes AND let you know that I've made these little hand-painted linos available on my website, so you can have one, too, if you like! The hummingbird is here, and the oriole is here. I have just a couple ready to go at the moment, but there will be more soon.

My Project Postcard entries.

Hey! I recognize that pelican!

There were delights outside the museum, too. (And not just in the amazing sculpture garden.) Look whose pelican linocut now graces the banners in the museum's parking area. Nifty, eh? I had seen a photo of them when they were installed last spring, but it was great to see them in person and prove to myself that they were real.

The warmth and fun of time spent at the Woodson with friends and colleagues will sustain me for a long time to come, which is a good thing because I have to get back to work!

UPDATE! This morning I received the great news that "Mooch Brigade," my piece in the exhibition, has been selected for the national tour! Look for it at these great venues in 2017-2019:

The Chicago Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum 
(December 16, 2017 ­– February 4, 2018)
Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, Connecticut 
(February 24 – May 28, 2018)
Cumming Nature Center, Rochester Museum & Science Center, Naples, New York 
(June 16 – August 13, 2018)
Newington-Cropsey Foundation, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York 
(September 4 – October 26, 2018)
Las Cruces Museum of Art, Las Cruces, New Mexico 
(November 20, 2018 – January 14, 2019)

"Mooch Brigade," reduction linocut, 18" x 18"
© Sherrie York

Winging Wisconsin-ward!

#birdsinartducky

There's a suitcase on my bed and a mellow yellow fellow on the suitcase. It can only mean one thing. It's time for Birds in Art at the Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin!

Ducky and I will be up well before the other ducks and chickens tomorrow, since we've got a 2+ hour drive before our 6:30am flight. Ooph. But it will absolutely be worth it to spend the weekend with friends, colleagues, and fantastic bird art. (And a ducky or two.)

Sculptor Don Rambadt will be honored as this year's Master Artist, and I encourage you to check out his work and... hmmm..... have you ever come across a little nuthatch sculpture in an odd place? Could be you've been an unwitting participant in Don's "Magnetic Migration" project. Such a cool idea...


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In studio news, I spent a good chunk of time this past week printing, hand-coloring, and matting a stack of Bitty Birds and getting them ready to pop into frames. The holiday season is coming soon! (Eek.) Unmounted these little guys are a perfect price for gift-giving, which is why it's a good thing I've got a Gift Gallery on my website, with original prints under $100. (Ahem. Was that subtle enough?) Just remember when you flock to the website that I won't be back to fill your orders until next week, so don't get your feathers ruffled.

I'll be homing in on the home studio again early next week... planning to get a new lino on the press before the week is out. Keep watching this space!

Bitty Birds, hand-colored linocuts, 3 x 5"
(They fit great in an 8 x 10 frame. Just saying.)