Artwork description:

This linocut is from a visit to the gardens of Versailles. I joined a bicycle tour of the grounds culminating with a tour of the palace. While having lunch on the banks of the grand canal, I left the party and wandered quietly into the nearby forest, once a hunting preserve for kings. Earlier I overheard our guide mention that a major storm came through and knocked down many of the old trees that once inhabited the gardens. What we now see is new growth, more open airy landscape. What I saw appeared to be a forest cathedral, with long, elongated spires and patches of stained glass windows, lifting my gaze upward. The foreground appeared as an altar surrounded by a tapestry of light and dappled shade. Your eye slowly filters through slivers of radiant light mixed with dark vertical cords, reminiscent of church organs, resting in the distant air. The printed image seems to breathe the oxygen of natures’ spiritual connection to man. It is a place comforted by a strong unconscious memory to return again to the mysteries of our origin.

Materials used:

Daniel Smith Traditional Black Relief Ink on Zerkall Book Smooth Cream over Somerset Satin White 250gm

Tags:

#light #forest #garden #france #reflection #peaceful #cathedral #hunting #hidden #stillness #spire #seclusion #preserve #distinct #new growth