A Winter Scene by F.E.

A few years ago one of my middle school students gave me a framed copy of this lovely 6" x 4" print of a winter scene. She told me that her grandfather had made it (it is only signed by the initials "FE" carved into the image), and she thought I would enjoy it because I am a printmaker.

She was right. Over the years this gem has occupied various places of honor in my homes. I just moved and it is currently on the desk in my studio where I am typing this blog post.

What I love best about this print is the cheery yellow that lights up the windows in the house and moon as, well as the confident swathe of deep, dark blue that fills the night sky. Oftentimes a black and white woodcut stands well enough on its own and color only flattens not only the sense of space, but the emotional depth of an image. But here I find that the color lends volume to the snow that covers the ground and structures. The freezing temperatures are, too, emphasized by contrast to the warming yellow light. And that sky, by virtue of its distinct hue (if not distinct value) seems all that much more distant and vast.

Winter is humbling.