Another Painting Sold

Sold another painting yesterday; this was one of my woodblock series.  With these, I paint a multi-layered background, and then paint my woodblock and lay down a print on top.  Just got back from the gallery, where I replaced the sold one.  This particular woodblock took me about 40 hours to carve.  Note the places where you can see some of the wood grain showing through for interest.  It's a good day!

By the way, carvers usually use 'basswood.'  Much of the wood sold to woodcarvers is this basswood, which is known for its nice smooth grain and not a lot of knot holes.  What basswood actually is is linden wood from linden trees!  I was delighted to learn this as linden trees are one of my favorites.  Growing in colder climes, they are beautifully-shaped hardwood trees that have many pendant white flowers dangling down from one spot.  If you are so lucky as to stand under a linden when it's in bloom, you can look up and see millions of flowers reaching down toward you and experience the heady, intoxicating fragrance they put off.   You'll get a show as well, because bees are attracted too the flowers and you'll likely see as many bees as blooms!  Ahhh... I can almost smell them now.

I was lucky enough at one point in my life to be able to purchase linden perfume, which is now no longer made.  I carefully used my cherished bottle to extend it as long as possible.  One day I went upstairs to find that my young son had sprayed out the entire bottle, which, until that point, was about 70% full!  Oh, well.