Young and Old

        For my solo shows I always choose a theme so that I display a different variety of pieces at each show.  It’s fun to pick themes and then consider how different pieces fit into the idea.  It occurred to me that I could also share with you some of the different themes I’ve worked with over the years.  For the show that’s currently up at the Sherborn Library until the end of the month, my theme is “Young and Old.”  Here’s my little blurb:

        Young and old, old and new, there’s a special beauty in the people and things that have lasted a long time, and those that are just starting out.  From the half-timbered buildings that have stood for centuries to the fern fiddlehead about to unfurl in the spring, I find myself drawn to new beginnings and ancient survivors.  For this show I selected a variety of relief block prints that relate to this idea of new and old.  I hope they invite viewers to appreciate the magic in sometimes unregarded places, and the wonder of our world where young and old, old and new share their beauty with each other.

        I picked pieces with people of all ages and generations, I picked animal families, and I also picked some objects that particularly seemed to illustrate great age or new growth.  Most of the pieces have already been shared in this blog at various times, so today I’m just posting three from the show that you may not have seen already.  First is a portrait of an ancestor of mine, based on a very old photo.  Sarah was born in 1812 and died in 1903.  Next, the tree fern fiddlehead unfurling, a symbol of new life and new beginnings.  And finally, P and T at age 4 or so - but meant to be quite universal: the new joy of young children first discovering one of the oldest sources of wonder since the dawn of humanity.

[Pictures: This is One of My Grandmothers (Sarah), rubber block print by AEGN, 1998;

New Zealand Fern, rubber block print by AEGN, 2000;

The Puddle, rubber block print by AEGN, 2006 (sold out).]