Eva Pietzcker, Mt. Rainier
Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Manager):
"Eva Pietzcker’s incredible moku hanga woodcut print ‘Mt. Rainier’ beautifully captures the iconic mountain, shrouded in mist and snow. The technical difficulties of moku hanga, a Japanese technique that uses water based pigments, damp paper, and hand pressing with a baren, increase my appreciation for Pietzcker’s ability to reproduce soft textures and dramatic contrast with precision, and consistently across the edition. The artist herself said this print was the most challenging for her to print. The impressive silhouette of Mt. Rainier rising within the clouds and mist, so skillfully represented, feels distinctly Pacific Northwest, but also transcends any locality to a universal spiritual landscape."
Nele Zirnite, Deal
Recommended by Nikki (Fine Print Photographer & Content Publisher):
"In ‘Deal’ Latvian artist, Nele Zirnite, playfully mixes up what the viewer knows to be true in her surrealist image. What if birds traded their feathered wings to humans in exchange for metal wings? Would it be a good deal? Would birds use their new human made wings? How would humans use their new wings? We get a small glimpse into this imaginary world and see black birds all sitting in the trees with their metallic wings. The bird closest to the viewer, taking up most of the foreground, is much larger than the human resting on its back.The human is not using their wings, but is instead, gazing up and away from the bird and viewer and seems almost oblivious to the birds. This tiny etching measures three and a half inches on its longest edge. In this small amount of real estate, Zirnite reminds her viewers of the largeness of asking ourselves ‘what if?’, while also hinting at the importance of being content with the gifts we do have."
Peter M. Jogo, Paisley Mac
Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager):
"This piece immediately grabbed my attention because of the rich color and perfect technique. But what keeps me looking is the regal, precious treatment of a humble apple. It strikes me as a perfectly lit, staged scene of a play with an apple as the protagonist. It's a scene that we'd never quite catch in our daily life either because it vanishes when we turn the lights on or because we don't revere the apple on our table as maybe we should. Either way, I'm glad that Jogo called my attention to it."
Tallmadge Doyle, Winter Always Turns to Sprint
Recommended by Catherine (Collections Assistant):
"Tallmadge Doyle's cosmic and nature-inspired intaglio prints strike an elusive balance between whimsical and grave, simultaneously conveying the beauty of the world and the pressing issues of climate change. Her intaglio print Winter Always Turns to Spring beautifully encapsulates the dark uncertainty around the future of our earth, and its place in the universe, with a message of ever-present hope. The layered star-like and spherical shapes call to mind the swirling cosmos, while the concentration of bright tones in the center draw the viewer through the dark celestial entanglement. This serves as a reminder that whether we are stuck inside the darkness of an unusually long winter or a web of demoralizing information, the light is never far beyond reach."
Colin See-Paynton, Nocturnal Encounters - Barn Owl and Hare
Recommended by Suzannah (Marketing and Communications Manager):
"There is magnificent energy and spirit in Colin See-Paynton’s wood engraving ‘Nocturnal Encounters - Barn Owl and Hare,’ in which predator and prey are caught in a cosmic struggle of life and death. The owl swoops majestically with deadly precision while the hare leaps into the sky with huge feet, and eyes wild with panic. The textures of the feather and fur are lifelike in their detail and stylized in contrast, owing to the expertise of Colin See-Paynton’s masterful technique. These two creatures soar in mythic opposition, their momentary scene played against the vault of the night sky."