persistence
— 1. firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
Humboldt Campfire
Reduction Woodcut.
Eleven colors. One block.
It's been a while due to a seemingly insurmountable difficulty in understanding how to upload additional art and word musings but persistence pays off and ... I'm BACK!
Persistence played a large part in the work I call Humboldt Campfire. It was my first attempt at a reduction wood cut print and persistence became my middle name. Basically with a reduction printmaking, you carve away to expose the previous color. As in ... the first 'color' on this print is, in fact, the white of the moon and stars. Not because I printed white 'ink' but because I carved away the wood so the first 'color' ink printed, a light light blue, exposed the white PAPER. Then because I wanted light blue stars and a bit around the moon to be the next color, I carved away that part of the block and printed the next darker blue, again exposing what was there before.
This is also called a suicide block because you are only using one block, carving away to expose each 'previous' color. I started with 40 sheets of paper and with proofs, (and goofs!) ended up with an edition of 18. It was so much fun (FUN!). So ... well, dangerous. Unlike printing with multiple blocks, you simply cannot go back and do it again. What a rush!