MUSES

Sunlight dapples through the branches of the birches that tower above me. Tender leaves flutter overhead. A lone sparrow sings. A breath of lake breeze floats past. Lying on the grass, I become earth, and I gaze up and away into a blue universe that is endless, and I am held, like a precious stone, in an omnipotent hand.

With only a few exceptions, at the lake is where my childhood lives. Endless days with bare toes spent digging in the sand, wading through water, scrambling over rocks, running through the grass. Here there were no walls, no lines, no borders, no rules, no hours or minutes—just endless days of exploring the world and discovering me.

It is also where I discovered what was beautiful to me and what inspires me—a blade of grass, a drop of rain, the wing of a butterfly—all the simple elements of matter that comprise and sustain our world, that color our lives.

As I grew older, the scope of my adventures and experiences also grew. New landscapes, creatures, and perspectives contributed to my designs.

Whether microscopic or distant, my renditions portray the pure simplicity of peace, joy and beauty always to be explored and discovered in the outdoors.

AN ODE TO PRINTMAKING

There is no sound but the clock ticking on the wall, marking time. Every drawer, every surface, every tool, every thing in this room has a purpose, a job, a role to play in the making of art and of history and of humanity. It is a place of creation and ritual, belief and patience, respect and honor. In this world, time matters, care is essential, and process is key. Here it is as much about the community as it is about the self; about the journey as it is about the destination, And that, my friends, is what renders this space and this type of image-making so supremely sacred.

Ancient and timeless are the tools, the methods, the materials, and the wonder that inhabits the world of hand-rendered printmaking. The pencils and erasers, tape and pins, rulers and mesh screens, wing-nuts and screws, water and light, darkness and air all connect our minds to our bodies, our present with our past and our future. The paper and the ink are not simple seen, they are also felt. Each step requires attention to time, space, and order. Fluctuations arise and problems are solved. Experience and faith drive our process.

But there is nothing like that split-second moment of wonder and anticipation where process meets revelation and the paper is peeled from the screen or the press or the water-bath and the image you hold in your hand is always a surprise. Unique, real, and forever.