HELLO AND WELCOME FRIENDS,

You may recall from previous blog post that our trip to Iceland was inspiring for me. Despite the many grand and dramatic landscapes we saw, the image I chose to address this time around is much more common place. The interior of the island nation is raised from the sea from a series of lava flows. For a variety of reasons, these plateaus of lava frequently end near the sea in towering lines of cliffs. Waterfalls are the result. Probably more waterfalls than I've ever seen in one place.

The raw lava rocks are very unlike any geology that I've painted or printed in more than 50 years. There is a randomness to the way the faces of the cliffs have broken away. I had to think about the near lack of patterns a great deal before abstracting the rocks into carved shapes. The lava is also very dark, often black. So I took some liberties with my color choices. I broke the composition into two color families, cold colors for the rocks and sky and warm colors for every thing else. So, starting with two blocks that interlocked like pieces of a puzzle (indeed!), I started printing.

Each frame above is the sequence of impressions done alternating two blocks. In the last frame I introduced a third block which laid a transparent blue-gray over the center area, a shadow. Here is the finished print.

"Iceland Cascade" linocut print, 12" x 9" (31 x 23.5) 

And here are a couple of details that may help you to see this print a little better.

As always, I enjoyed the process and the challenges. 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. If you would like to see more about what we saw in Iceland, take a look at my previous blog post. 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