Knot ~ Wood engraving by John Steins

TITLE: Knot
SIGNATURE: John Steins
MEDIUM: Wood Engraving
EDITION SIZE: 67
IMAGE SIZE: 6 x 6 in
PAPER SIZE: 10 x 12 in
PAPER: Washi
DATE: 2017
OTHER MARKS: signed, titled, numbered in pencil

 

Commentary:

I’ve always admired those prints of log cross-sections where the artist inks up the end of a log and burnishes it onto paper. It reveals incredible detail within the annular rings of the tree. Something about concentric circles which I find satisfying to look at.

In my travels I took a macro photo of a knot in a piece of house siding and translated it into a wood engraving as a kind of tip of the hat to the printers who take images directly from log ends.

I didn’t want to slavishly follow every line, nook and cranny but try and let the burin do as much of the talking as possible.

So great if you could take a minute and leave your thoughts on this.