Blue Hill Fair

The Blue Hill Fair is in town this weekend – scene of Charlotte’s triumph and Wilbur’s fame in E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Remember that “TERRIFIC,” “RADIANT,” and finally “HUMBLE” pig? There were plenty of descendants of Wilbur there this year as well as a diverse cast of furry and feathered characters. I was there, too, snapping photos of everything on four feet – 110 shots on my little Nikon CoolPix! Here is a sneak preview of what you may see in pen-and-ink or woodblock prints down the line.

Piglets

Boar

Alpacas

Horses

Donkey

Highland Calf

Llama

Woodcuts and Summer Guests

Incentive Package

12" X 13" woodcut

2008

Although my blog has been quite quiet these last two weeks, I haven't been idle. I've been busy carving ever bigger woodblocks. This donkey is a native of Sirince, Turkey, a tiny farming village in the hills above Ephesus. I'm going to submit him and Kate, the Border Collie, to the Common Ground Fair poster contest. You can read all about the fair on the Maine Farmers and Growers Association website.

I carved my donkey and his dangling carrot during the week my niece Bella was visiting from New Hampshire. Bella, almost 9 years old, keenly observed each step of the process. May be another woodblock artist in the making! She and I also read a book aloud together -- The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron (a great story!) -- and I helped outfit Bella for the Friday Fashion Show at Nichols Day Camp when she bemoaned the fact that she didn't have a THING to wear! Note the Italian "designer" dress with the maritime motif, the frog earrings, the Korean silk scarf, and beaded bracelets from French West Africa. The purple Crocs are hers! Such a fashionista!



Stay tuned for another woodcut that I'll post as soon as it's been gifted.

Heee Haw & Oink!

Donkey

4" X 4" woodcut

2008

Pig

4" X 4" woodcut

2008

Everyone seems to warm to donkeys and pigs, so here are two more for my barn yard collection. The donkey is Abijah, and he was mine, all mine, for one wonderful year before we moved to Maine. Alas! We have no pasture land on this our rocky bit of shelf, so I had to leave Abijah behind. Broke my heart!

This poor porker lost more than he bargained for on my chopping block. Wood carving is an unforgiving medium. Once a smile line or a chinny-chin-chin or a background detail is removed, it's gone for good! I touched up Porky with one of my pens. Probably highly unethical in the world of woodblock printers. I'll have to find out about that.

I keep working small because I have a whole bag full of little Shina plywood blocks that I got from McClain's and it cuts so nicely. Pretty soon I'm going to order some GREAT BIG BLOCKS and expand my vision!

Eee--eye--eee--eye--oh!

"So Sweet!"

"Sheer Insouciance"

"Bullish Optimism for Bearish Times"

"A Couple of Coworkers"

Last fall I took my camera to the Blue Hill Fair and took shot after shot of the farm animals. This winter I finally had some time to draw a few of them. Stayed tuned! There are more to come.