Fern Fever
Fern I and Fern II: two new limited edition linocut prints from Mazy Path.
"An eminently beautiful Object is Fern, on a hill side, scattered thick but growing single- and all shaking themselves in the wind."
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
When I was a child in Vermont, my playhouse was located by a stone wall under a canopy of birch, maple, and oak trees. My abode had a soaring ceiling that allowed in dappled light, sides that admitted cross breezes, and an atmosphere that suggested ancient roots. As a haven for creative play, there was no better spot than my grove of cinnamon ferns.
Cinnamon Fern
The cinnamon ferns still grow in the same spot, and I continue to love them for the elegant beauty of their fronds, the habitat they provide for other small creatures looking for a home, and their rootedness in soil and time. There is something deeply reassuring about the fact that cinnamon ferns were present when dinosaurs roamed the earth and they’re still here now, vital as ever.
Fern I and Fern II are printed by hand and made with water-based printing inks and heavy cotton paper. Each print measures 16" x 24".
My newest limited-edition, linocut prints, Fern I and Fern II, feature cinnamon ferns as well as two other enchanting fern varieties: the sensitive fern and the southern maidenhair fern. The ferns have certain things in common; they prefer damp soil, they’re used for traditional herbal medicine, they’re native to the Eastern United States. However, their appearances vary widely. The cinnamon fern has delicate filigree foliage, the sensitive fern has robust leaflets with wavy edges, and the southern maidenhair fern has cascading leaves shaped like small fans. Seen together, these fern friends form a maze of delicate shapes and lines that is gently defined by varying shades of green. The ferns are accompanied by the sensitive fern borer moth, for which the sensitive fern is the host plant.
The process of creating Fern I and Fern II
I’ve long wanted to make a pair of prints that appeared to be in conversation. The graceful, organic contours of the cinnamon, sensitive, and maidenhair ferns lent themselves to this approach. I began by sketching the ferns and then creating two related compositions. I then traced my drawings with a charcoal pencil and transferred the charcoal images onto blocks by turning them face down and gently rubbing the backs of the sketches. Next I printed layers of color, moving from light to dark and working simultaneously on both prints. Between each layer I carved away surface area from each block so that previous layers of color would be exposed. Step by step and side by side, Fern I and Fern II took shape.
Creating Fern I and Fern II was a labor of love, and each edition has only 10 prints.