During the warmer months, I find the garden to be a perfect creative outlet. But, in the winter, I have to search a little harder to find beauty. I used to dread these months, but I've come to treasure them as I enjoy the quiet beauty.
Winter brings me to creating indoors, where I have been experimenting with letterpress printing.
Two years ago, my husband, Tobie, and I purchased an old one-room schoolhouse that had been converted into a home. There are many reasons that we jumped at this treasure, but one of them is that it provided space for a studio. Tobie has a lot of heavy equipment for his Book Bindery business. A few years back, he acquired a Letterpress Printer, which I have been testing my work on.
Last year, I started a series of prints called "The Illustrated Alphabet". Each print is hand drawn, carved into a linoblock, then printed on the letterpress. They are all nature-based, and each letter has an animal, plant and insect.
I'm down to 4 more letters to design, and winter doesn't seem to be leaving quickly... Check out the designs in my shop www.botannaca.com/shop. To check out my husband's work, visit www.mordecaibooks.com.