HELLO AND WELCOME FRIENDS,

Despite my recently mounting two solo exhibitions involving more than 100 pieces of my artwork - and having work in two invitational shows, I have completed another linocut print. This print is in the same family as many of my works over the years. When I moved to Alaska in 1978, after graduating college (the first time) I immediately fell in love with the snow-covered landscape. Since then I've made many watercolors, oil paintings and linocut prints of winter scenes. I enjoy summer and all that, but the low light of winter and the brilliance of snow still thrills me. It is my favorite time of the year.

And we are rapidly coming into the season again. So I got a head start on my favorite subject with this new print. I began with a two-photo mosaic I took about 25 years ago (below). Like most of my photos it is not very interesting in and of itself. But I liked the composition and decided I would add some atmosphere with color.

I began with a warm pink over the whole sheet and then built layers of blue and gray-violet for the snow and shadows.

The process of laying these colors down just fascinates me. On a white sheet of paper the first impression can look almost too strong to be the lightest color in the image. But as darker colors are laid over it, that color changes dramatically. And so it is with each new layer of color. It is one of the things that I find most challenging and enjoyable about doing these reduction prints. Here are the next four impressions:

And finally, here is the finished print!

"Whispers Of Winter", linocut print, 9" x 12" (23.5 x 31)

I enjoy the feeling of this print and I hope it strikes a chord with you too. I've been resupplying some of my galleries and I hope that you'll have the opportunity to visit at least one of these brick and mortar destinations sometime soon. This print is yet to hit the streets but is already available on this website. Thank you for accompanying me once again for the creation of "Whispers Of Winter." My next print is already underway and for this next one, we'll be going abroad (unless you live in Italy). See you soon!


 William H. Hays