"At the Zoo" Mary Rose Henssler

"At the Zoo" Mary Rose Henssler. Woodblock print on paper. 11" x 15". Not framed.

Two small girls communing with an elephant at the zoo.

I view the world through an artist’s lens, constantly evaluating whether the best expression for a fleeting scene might be water color, a woodblock print, or simply a photo. 

Increasingly, I tend toward woodblock. There is something meditative about the carving process that appeals to me. Acute attention must be paid to every stroke of the carving tool. This does not allow for thinking about anything but the woodblock and tool. The world fades away.

Some of my woodblocks are single color. Other times I use a four-block color method. My “Colorado River “ is an example of a reductive multi-color process. Once the carving is complete, there can be no other identical print made from that block. All decisions about the number of prints must be made before the first color is laid down. I like the finality of that.

Mary Rose has always made art in some form – oils, acrylics, watercolor, drawing, photography, fabric sculpture, and collage. It wasn’t until she discovered woodblock printing that she found an expressive medium that truly felt like home.  The process itself takes time and so much attention that she could lose herself in it in a way she had not found with other art. That’s not to say that she won’t still paint or draw. But woodblock printing has captured her imagination, and does not willingly let go.

All rights belonging to the holder of the copyright, including the reproduction rights, shall remain with the Artist.

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