The winds tugged at the branches of the trees. The black locust roots grasped tight to the sand and soil. The ground swelled up, then eased back down again. Deep breaths with each upward pull. The tree fought to survive. It was 1991, Hurricane Bob. I was home visiting my father in Wellfleet.

Rooted is a 12” x 9” multiple color edition print. In this print, I use gourds and a flower as objects within an environment. One gourd is entwined and rooted in the soil. A second gourd juxtaposes the downward tension created by the first with upward movement.

The print is comprised of two copper plates. One is printed with alizarin crimson mixed with bone black. The other is printed with phthalo blue mixed with Charbonnel’s Very Dense Black.  To create the plates, I used a combination of soft ground, aquatint, drypoint, and roulette. Below are images of each plate and subsequent print to demonstrate the process.