Thursday, March 11, 2010


'Flying South' ~ 'Volando hacia el sur'
Woodcut ~ Grabado en madera
Edition/edicion: 75
Size/Tamano: 4" x 6" / 10 cm x 15 cm


New Mexico has a magic place called Bosque de Apache National Wildlife Refuge where each fall thousands upon thousands of birds (sandhill cranes, Arctic geese, myriad species of ducks) gather to winter. Feeding birds may erupt in explosions of wings at a moments notice and, at dusk, flight after flight of geese and cranes return to roost in the marshes. It's an awesome sight which should be experienced and was my inspriation.

This simple little black and white woodcut was done for the SSNW09 print exchange, a twice annually exchange celebrating the solstice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

En el estado de Nuevo Mexico (EEUUA) hay un sitio magico llamado El Refugio Nacional del Bosque de Apache a lo cual millares de pajaros migran cada otono (grullas sandhill, gansos articos, una variedad de patos) para pasar el invierno. De golpe habran explosiones de alas y, a la nochecer, vuelo tras vuelo de gansos y grullas vuelven para descansar en los pantanos. Es tan impresionante verlo y me inspiro.

Este grabado sencillo en blanco y negro fue hecho para el intercambio de grabados del SSNW09, lo cual occure dos veces al ano para celebrar el solsticio.





6 comments:

northwoods trekker said...

beautiful study Diane with a great balance between your pos/neg space
the dark silhouette shapes of the geese in flight against a simple white background is really effective

Diane Cutter said...

Thanks, Brian... I was going to be more complicated with feathers and all but found the simple black on white said it all.

Linda said...

Before the birds fly south they spend some time at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan. We were there for the fly up last spring at 5 am - WOW - the sound when they all go at once! It is unbelievable! I'm still trying to figure out how to do a print of that to go with my Shiawassee river series. I love yours. Hope I can do mine as elegantly.
Linda Beeman

Annie B said...

I've always regretted not getting down to Bosque de Apache for the migration while I lived in New Mexico. I've heard that the cranes also goes through Nebraska. Nobody who has seen this sight seems to ever forget it. Lovely print. I like the simple graphic starkness of it.

Daniel L. Dew said...

Very nice b/w balance, I like.

Diane Cutter said...

Linda... I can imagine how awesome that is. The fly-in and fly-out are definitely worth a trip wherever they occur.

Thanks, Annie and Daniel... This was one of those times when simple worked best.