HELLO AND WELCOME FRIENDS,

I will say that this print went faster than any for quite a while. Not that I planned it that way...

Some years ago I was out and about in January of 2024 and there had been a cold spell. All the rivers froze up for a while. The thickness of the ice builds with each day. Sometimes it just melts away slowly and the flow is resumed. Sometimes there is a sudden thaw and rain. The little rivers rise rapidly and the ice breaks into chunks that rattle and jostle each other in a tumult. Often ice builds up along the shoreline and that is where I took some pictures.

I had the picture I settled on for a year before I decided to crop it down and simplify the composition. The idea of carving these textures I wanted to capture was daunting. But... swallow and dive in!

Here is how the print was assembled using a reduction print technique. There were six impressions, all done with the same block:

"Crystalline Light", impressions 1 through 6

"Crystalline Light", linocut print, 12" x 9" (31 x 23.5)

I put together a brief video of my printing process. Take a look! My fiancé really likes this print and I'm pretty happy with it as well. I hope you have enjoyed seeing how this linocut print was done. This print is available on this website and will soon be in galleries representing my work. I'm presenting a solo exhibition of more than 30 of my prints at the Silver Circle Gallery in Putnam, Connecticut. The opening is on April 6th (2025). If you can make it, I'd love to see you there.  Stay in touch and let me know if you find yourself in Western Massachusetts and would like to visit my studio. It's always good to hear from you.

William H. Hays