These pieces are part of an ongoing series of drawings, collages and sculptures commemorating trees I have known and loved. Some trees toppled in storms, others died from Dutch Elm Disease before being cut into firewood and stacked in the woodshed for winter fuel. Many of the logs were just too beautiful to burn, with lustrous, curly grain and covered in mysterious hieroglyphics carved by elm bark beetles, so I brought them into my studio. Using Takuhon (ink rubbing), a traditional Japanese printmaking process, I formed wet Gasenshi paper on the wood and daubed ink on the raised surfaces to transfer the textures, casting and printing each log in sections. I then cut, folded and assembled them into 3-D objects, sometimes adding etched paper moths and other printed elements.
Memento Mori: Elm and Tiger Moth
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue, etching on gampi paper
16" H x 5" W x 5" D
Memento Mori: Elm and Tiger Moth (detail)
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue, etching on gampi paper
16" H x 5" W x 5" D
Mememnto Mori: Red Oak and Scallop Shell Moth
2024
paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue, etching on gampi paper, entomology pin
14" H x 5" W x 3" D
Memento Mori: Red Oak and Scallop Shelll Moth (detail)
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue, etching on gampi paper, entomology pin
14" H x 5" W x 3" D
Memento Mori: Red Oak Stele 1
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue
16" H x 5" W x 5" D
Memento Mori: Red Oak Stele 2
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue
16" H x 5" W x 5" D
Three Islands
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue
pieces range in size from 3" - 7" H x 3" - 5 1/2" W x 2 1/2" - 4" D, installation size variable
Memento Mori: Red Oak and Haploa Clymene Moth (heart side)
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue, drypoint on gampi paper, entomology pin
11"H x 4" W x 3 1/2" D
Memento Mori: Red Oak and Haploa Clymene Moth (bark side)
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue, drypoint on gampi paper, entomology pin
11"H x 4" W x 3 1/2" D
Memento Mori: Red Oak and Haploa Clymene Moth (detail)
2024
Paper sculpture: takuhon relief impressions taken from found wood on Gasenshi paper, cut, folded and assembled with glue, drypoint on gampi paper, entomology pin
11"H x 4" W x 3 1/2" D
Sailing Ent 1
2023
Pigmented wax crayon rubbings taken from found wood on calligraphy paper, cut and assembed with glue, sitting on a backing sheet of Sekishu paper
approximately 3 1/2" H x 1" D on 4" diameter base, installation size variable
Ent Forest
2023
Pigmented wax crayon rubbings taken from found wood on calligraphy paper, cut and assembed with glue, sitting on a backing sheet of Sekishu paper
each piece approximately 3" H x 1" D on 3" diameter base, installation size variable
Two Ents
2023
Pigmented wax crayon rubbings taken from found wood, India ink on cut-out calligraphy paper, assembled with glue
each piece approximately 3 1/2" H x 1" D on 5" x 4 1/2" base, installation size variable
Goth Doilies
2023
Pigmented wax crayon rubbings taken from found wood, India ink on cut-out calligraphy paper, assembled with glue
each piece approximately 9" in diameter x 3" H
Goth Doilies Installation
2023
Pigmented wax crayon rubbings taken from found wood, India ink on cut-out calligraphy paper, assembled with glue
largest piece 18" in diameter, shown installed on a 4' x 6' wall
Large Goth Doily2023Pigmented wax crayon rubbings taken from found wood, India ink on calligraphy papers, cut and assembled
approximately 18" in diameter x 2" HPhoto Credit: John Polak Photography