Carving Animals

 

There's been no adventuring or wandering going on here lately. I haven't seen a fox, a moose, a buffalo or a bear. I've been painting them instead.

I suppose you could say I've been doing a little roving. Around my art room! Gathering up supplies I've stashed away in boxes and drawers since the New Years flood last year, I spread them out on the newly carpeted floor. In complete disarray are various types of paper, linoleum blocks, carving tools, rollers and barens. My wooden drafting table is piled high with tubes of turquoise, mars black, titanium white and cobalt blue paint. Ball jars are filled with paintbrushes of every size, my easel is set up, the fire flame is on low and Gregory Alan Isakov is singing in the background::

threw my bottle to the ocean,

she never wrote me back

all the countless days along the sea of blue

learned the language of the Mockingbird

she took and twisted all my words

yeah, I'm just trying to find my way to you

For the past fifteen years I've handmade the Christmas cards I send out. Almost all of them are block prints. I got into carving and I just couldn't stop! After the initial relief print is done, I touch them up with more paint in bright colors, which look good against the black and white print.

Here are some cards I made in the past and some most recently. As you can see, they always include a wild animal. Naturally.

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Meanwhile, because of the cold and squally winds, blowing tumbleweeds and sagebrush from here to Oklahoma, it's keeping me indoors a lot. Through the window, I shake my fist to the sky, damn you wind.

As my mom reminds me over the phone, "when you've got snow, make snowmen."

When you've got wind, well then, you plop yourself down in front of a fire and write letters. Being cooped up reminds me that there are other things to do. Important things, like letter writing, journaling, reading poetry and drinking licorice tea with a Tabby on either side.

I pause only to listen to the wind.