Back to the Deer, Green Heron, Wood Ducks

Deer, Green Heron, Wood Ducks, Reduction Linocut/Woodcut Proof by Ken Januski

I've been planning to do another woodcut or linocut in time for a deadline next week. But I've had a hard time deciding on a subject. Finally today, with the deadline looming, I decided it made most sense to return to the White-tailed Deer, Green Heron and Wood Ducks linocut. I'd always thought I'd redo it in color, just not so soon.

Today I started carving a new woodblock the same size (more or less) as the lino. After cutting out just a few whites, as well as the three main figures of deer, ducks and heron, I printed it all in one color, the Raw Siena like color above. I then re-inked the old lino in sepia, a very dark sepia I might add, and printed on top of the woodcut proof. I like what I see, especially that the main subjects stand out again. But only time will tell just how much I'll develop it.

Carolina Saddlebags, Savannah Sparrow, Pumpkins. Watercolor by Ken Januski.

Above is one of my favorite recent watercolors, done last fall after seeing something like this scene at Rea's Farm in Cape May, NJ. Of course there is a lot of liberty taken in the combination of Carolina Saddlebags, which just would not sit down, Savannah Sparrow in the shadows and pumpkins in the pumpkin field. I've always thought it could make a good, though very complex, linocut.

Savannah Sparrows, Pencil Sketches by Ken Januski.

In preparation for that linocut I did some pencil studies from my photos of various Savannah Sparrows. But when I was done I realized that the whole thing was just too much of an undertaking on deadline. It will have to wait for another day. I still think it has great promise, not just as a print, but also as a larger watercolor. One of these days!