A Splendor of Its Own
I have always been keenly interested in capturing the beauty and solitude of nature through drawings, paintings, photographs, and more recently through linocut prints and book arts projects. Although some of my subject matter for linocuts can be close at hand — Saguaro National Park is only five miles away — I most often hike into remote areas where the landscape shows little sign of the hands of man. I have had some interesting encounters along the way, including packs of javelinas (wild pigs), bears, countless rattlesnakes . . . even a mountain lion in the rugged Santa Teresa Wilderness. Linocut prints can be viewed by clicking on Linocuts below.
Through the years, and especially lately, I've experimented with new techniques and materials. Click on New Work to see a sampling of what I've been up to lately.
Interest in the book arts came naturally to me after spending nearly two decades in the publishing industry, both as the owner and manager of a Denver book publishing company and as publications director at the world-renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. For more see Book Arts below.
My linocut printing process is unique in that I use a 1921 Chandler & Price treadle-operated platen press, which allows me to produce nuanced effects that are typically not found with this medium. Besides learning how I produce my prints, click below and see how I make hand-crafted books, and other works of art.
Is it possible to fall in love with a piece of cast iron? Short answer: yes. One hundred fifty dollars and some TLC brought a wonderful 1,100 pound 1921 platen press into our lives. The honeymoon is still in full swing!
I saw an announcement in a letterpress blog: "200 pounds of unsorted (pied) lead type for free." Who could pass up an offer like that? Little did I know that sorting it would consume the next six months of my life!