Collaboration of mind and spirit
The wood and resingrave I use for my work has literally grown extinct!
Unfortunately for the future of the technique, the materials used are becoming harder or impossible to find. It is increasingly difficult to find the kind of wood used for wood engraving, specifically pear or the more preferred boxwood. The boxwood tree grows small, so pieces are typically fitted together like a butcher block. As a substitute, resingrave was created to act as a substitute for progressively rarer materials. The artisan in California who made the material has stopped his manufacture after many years. So what comes next for wood engravers? It’s a real problem.
The most exciting part of working at the Torpedo Factory is the interaction and often collaborations that are formed both with other artists and with the public. Recently, I explained the lack of supply to a young product designer from Huntsville, Alabama who was visiting. I challenged him to find a solution. He has followed up magnificently! In the last few weeks I have been testing the twelve sample pieces of wood he has sent me. Yesterday, we met again and went over the results. I am very excited. We are on the way to designing a solution. I will not spill our secrets yet, this project is in an early stage, I will keep you informed. We have the makings of saving this technique and being able to provide a cost effective alternative.
A recent article from On Paper, Journal of the Washington Print Club, Spring 2022, Vol.1, No.12 written by curator Lorena Bradford, references my comments on the lack of availability of supplies. It also covers other important topics surrounding my subject matter, process and techniques. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
On Paper, Journal of the Washington Print Club, Spring 2022 Vol.1 NO.12 written by curator Lorena Bradford