Wild & Gaudy

 

I wanted a bit of inspi­ra­tion so I took a work­shop with Kala press in Berke­ley a cou­ple of weeks ago. I wanted to work with Inez Storer as she’s one of my favorite artists. She’s spunky and can be a bit prickly some­times, but I like that, it adds “zest” to the expe­ri­ence! I have a etch­ing press so look for­ward to see­ing more prints in the future!

I did this piece after the work­shop by tak­ing a print I didn’t feel quite worked but liked parts of and re-worked it into a new mixed media piece. The piece is in a show at The Main Gallery in Red­wood City right now in a show “New Year, New Work”. My grand­fa­ther Sweet’s poem inspired the work and the title! There was no title for the poem, but here it is;

You are like the beauty

of a quiet day in spring,

Like the clear sweet tunes

That nature’s song­sters sing.

 

Not the wild and gaudy brilliance

of the toss­ing prairie flowers,

But beauty of the violet

Hid­den in the shady bower.

by Arthur Sweet 1934