"An early American writer described Indian Summer well when he wrote, "The air is perfectly quiescent and all is stillness, as if Nature, after her exertions during the Summer, were now at rest." This passage belongs to the writer John Bradbury and was written nearly an "eternity" ago, back in 1817. ... The term "Indian Summer" dates back to the 18th century in the United States. It can be defined as "any spell of warm, quiet, hazy weather that may occur in October or even early November." Basically, autumn is a transition season as the thunderstorms and severe weather of the summer give way to a tamer, calmer weather period before the turbulence of the winter commences". Written by: William R.Deedler, Weather Historian
September's Crow, Monoprint, 22x30"
This is one print from a large series, called "My Archeological Dig". At least this is how I am thinking about the series. All of the imagery is coming out of my Portraits of the Central Coast Project. Each culture has a number of images associated with it. Over the years, I have made woodblocks, etchings, and collagraphs. Layers have been built up over a couple of years on each sheet of paper. The larger matrix is determined by the Fibonacci sequence. The acorn, being a major food source for the Chumash, our earliest culture, is the seed that gives birth to all of the cultures that come next. Birds, bees, and butterflies are the cross pollinators. You can find new images floating up to the surface that relate back to the wonderful people who are part of this portrait series. These prints feel like well worn rugs, that are somewhat faded but hold onto their original vibrancy of color and pattern. Each print decides when it is finished. I add new layers each time I return to print making. I have a stack of beautiful full sheets of thick paper that are in process. Each layer gives me hints of where to go next. Just like the stories that are unfolding in the portrait series.
Crows often show up in my work because they show up at my studio! Every fall, they return in the afternoons, 100's at a time. I'm sure the many old walnut trees we have surrounding the property lure them back every autumn, but it feels like it's their happy hour around 5:30pm. And, true to our Santa Barbara climate, we are well into a beautiful Indian Summer.
