Dry Point
Hecate's Tree.
Dry Point Print
(Measurement)
October 2019
Exhibition Text
"Hecate's Tree" was inspired by the work of Ansel Adams and Roman Loranc and spirituality. This piece is based on a specific tree from my childhood and the meaning behind the tree. A Willow tree represents protection and is the tree of the Goddess Hecate. She is the Goddess of magick, the moon and the night.
Dry Point Print
(Measurement)
October 2019
Exhibition Text
"Hecate's Tree" was inspired by the work of Ansel Adams and Roman Loranc and spirituality. This piece is based on a specific tree from my childhood and the meaning behind the tree. A Willow tree represents protection and is the tree of the Goddess Hecate. She is the Goddess of magick, the moon and the night.
Planning
Inspiration
Once again one of my main artists of inspiration is Ansel Adams. I have been in awe of his photography for years, his work is beautiful and so powerful. Anything with nature I automatically connect with, but his black and white photography is so much more powerful and has much more depth to it. Another artist is Roman Loranc, a polish photographer who has a similar style to Adams. I want the detailed image of nature and to have the same impact that their photography has.
(Click to enlarge and for citation)
Once again one of my main artists of inspiration is Ansel Adams. I have been in awe of his photography for years, his work is beautiful and so powerful. Anything with nature I automatically connect with, but his black and white photography is so much more powerful and has much more depth to it. Another artist is Roman Loranc, a polish photographer who has a similar style to Adams. I want the detailed image of nature and to have the same impact that their photography has.
(Click to enlarge and for citation)
Sketches
I immediately knew what I wanted to do when we were told about this project. Like I said above in my inspiration, there's a tree that I've always loved, and I knew I wanted to use a picture of it for my reference. All four of my sketches are different variations of the original photo. Some of the sketches are more complicated than the others, and some are just re drawings of a previous one. My first sketch is extremely complicated and I was spending way too much time on it. It was turning out really nice and would have been nice to do, but I knew it would have been way too much work with the time I had. My second sketch was way simpler and still the entire tree. I really liked this sketch, but comparing the sketch and the actual tree, it was way too smooth and round. With my third sketch I fixed this and made it much more angular, but it was still the whole tree. I had gotten the important parts onto this sketch, I looked at it and realized one, I spent way too much time again on this sketch, and it was far too complicated for my deadline. My fourth and final sketch was zoomed in and focused on the specific part of the tree I wanted to be emphasized. I made the knot in the lower part of the trunk of the tree the main focus of the piece. In the sketch I outlined the trunk, knots and the basic outline of the branches. This last sketch was my favorite and worked out the best for this project.
Process
Experimentation
The only experimentation in the carving aspect of this project was deciding whether I wanted to crosshatch between the branches or not. I tested this in a lower section of the branches where I could easily mask it if I decided it wasn't good. Which I did decide that I didn't like it and I hid it with the detail of the bark. I thought this would have made the piece way too dark and would have made it too much work for me, and I knew I could create depth with water colors, which I did. I never actually took any pictures of this part.
Process/Steps
The only experimentation in the carving aspect of this project was deciding whether I wanted to crosshatch between the branches or not. I tested this in a lower section of the branches where I could easily mask it if I decided it wasn't good. Which I did decide that I didn't like it and I hid it with the detail of the bark. I thought this would have made the piece way too dark and would have made it too much work for me, and I knew I could create depth with water colors, which I did. I never actually took any pictures of this part.
Process/Steps
- The first thing I did, once I found out what the project was, I went to the park and to the tree and took a lot of pictures to use as a reference. I took Pictures from different angles and focused on different parts of the tree. I wasn't sure what I wanted to focus on initially, though I have always loved the huge knot in the trunk, and wanted to try and include it. Here are some of the pictures I took, (click to enlarge).
- The next thing I did once I decided on the picture I wanted to do, (the last/fourth picture above), I started to sketch what I thought I wanted for my project, and changed it four times like I mentioned above. I played around with the shading of the bark, how much detail there was in the bark and leaves, and changed things until I liked it.
- Once I had my final sketch, I started to carve into my plastic plate. To carve into the plate I used a (thingy). It's a sharp three-sided knife. I started carving the base of the tree, or the trunk, and worked my way up. Once I had the trunk of the tree down I started to work on the branches and leaves of the willow. I first made a long drooping line, then I made similar ones at the same point. Once I had the branches I made the leaves. To make the leaves I just made little Vs pointing downwards throughout the long branch. I repeated all of that until I was happy with the amount of branches and leaves. Once I had all of the leaves and all that, I worked on the bark of the tree. I started with the knot first. I made the lines and details of that knot, I carved more in the spots I wanted darker. then I worked on the rest of the bark, I made small, less detailed knots and lines. Then I was done carving.
- Since I was done carving, I could start inking. The first thing I did was start soaking my sheet of watercolor paper for eight minutes. While it was soaking, I inked my plate. I layed out my newsprint papers to keep everything clean, I put my gloves on, got the black oil-based ink, pallet knife, scrapper and extra newsprint. I started by taking the pallet knife and scooping out a bit of ink and laying it across the top of the plate. I took the scrapper and spread the ink all across the plate. I made sure the ink was squeezed into every line I carved. Once I thought I had done enough I started to wipe off the rest of the ink off the plate with the extra newsprint. I tore off pieces and just scrubbed it off.
- Now that the plate was clean, and the paper had been soaking for long enough, I took my paper, plate and a clean sheet of newsprint and brought it over to the press. I moved the three layers of padding out of the way, laid the newsprint down and the wet sheet of water color paper, and then *tried* to line up the plate and the paper as best as I could. Once I had all of that down I put the padding layers back and rolled the press over the plate.
- Once I pressed the plate, I removed it from the watercolor paper to see how it turned out. The print was somewhat light But I really liked how delicate it looked with the slightly lighter, sketchier lines. I let the paper dry out on the rack and came back the next day.
- After the paper was dry it was time to start to paint it. I had started by getting the watercolors, a brush and some water. Then I mixed the greens, both light and dark with a bunch of water to get a wash. I put that wash over a section of the leaves and started to add detail to some, but then I thought it would have been easier to work on the bark first, so I did that, I did a light wash of the brown over the bark and added darker details and shadows after. I shaded around the knots and the dips and crevices of the tree. Once the bark was done I went back to the leaves. I continued to add darker lines until it looked like a full tree. I hadn't used watercolors in a really long time so it didn't work out as I wanted initially, but the more I worked on it the better it looked. Then I was done with my piece.
(Click to enlarge)
Reflection
I think my work reflected my pieces of inspiration, yes, they are all trees, but the detail and delicateness of everything and the story they tell. Both pieces are in different places and seasons, and both artists thought it was important to get the images when they did because of the story behind them. Whether it was a personal story like mine or if they saw a specific special moment that needed to be captured. I think the fact that I added color is the biggest contrast between all of the works. I liked how it looked in black and white, but I felt like I needed the color to show how vibrant the tree is in summer, when I took my reference photos and when I normally see the tree. I think the inking process was a little rough, i like to work quickly and get things done, I'm not sure if I let the paper soak long enough or if I put enough ink on, but I did like how it turned out. I feel that the carving part of the process was the best part of the whole deal. I think if I would have relaxed and took more time on it it would have worked out a little better.
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
The details of the tree and the fact of the tree being the focus of the piece. My inspiration shows the beauty and importance of nature, plants and specifically trees, which is what I tried to convey through my work.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Scott Cunningham, the author of the book I used in my research, talks a lot about the Goddesses and deities. He strives to educate readers on the different deities and their power, Hecate has always stood out to me and I've always connected with here.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I said this in my previous project, but people are scared or people who practice witchcraft, or they glorify it making it some fantasy thing. I think witches just want to be recognized as a real group, not just old people with green faces you may see on your T.V. screen or at Halloween. Not that that's a horrible thing, it's honestly just something to laugh at now.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Ansel Adams, I think, wants to show the beauty in nature, and the light and dark aspects of it. He wants people to actually see the cliffs, mountains, trees and plants and see all the different parts of them.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that photography helps to save and cherish specific moments, and a lot of Wicca is about focusing on the present and not worrying too much on the past or future.
The details of the tree and the fact of the tree being the focus of the piece. My inspiration shows the beauty and importance of nature, plants and specifically trees, which is what I tried to convey through my work.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Scott Cunningham, the author of the book I used in my research, talks a lot about the Goddesses and deities. He strives to educate readers on the different deities and their power, Hecate has always stood out to me and I've always connected with here.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I said this in my previous project, but people are scared or people who practice witchcraft, or they glorify it making it some fantasy thing. I think witches just want to be recognized as a real group, not just old people with green faces you may see on your T.V. screen or at Halloween. Not that that's a horrible thing, it's honestly just something to laugh at now.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Ansel Adams, I think, wants to show the beauty in nature, and the light and dark aspects of it. He wants people to actually see the cliffs, mountains, trees and plants and see all the different parts of them.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that photography helps to save and cherish specific moments, and a lot of Wicca is about focusing on the present and not worrying too much on the past or future.
Bibliography
- Adams, Ansel. “Trees and Snow.” The Art Institute of Chicago, Photography, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.artic.edu/artworks/121719/trees-and-snow.
- Cunningham, Scott, and Kimberly Nightingale. Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Llewellyn Publications, 2017.