I'm thrilled to have completed a 4 week block printing class at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, MA. The class was broken down into very manageable lessons plans which included a weekly critique (a first for me) carving as well as printing time, in addition to weekly reading and sketching homework. The above work in progress, is my "Noel" design which I printed on greeting cards. The final printed cards include individually hand painted berries in red.

Although the class lessons were somewhat familiar (I took an intro to block printing class about a year ago) I absolutely loved the class critiques! It was so surprising to me to hear how others viewed your work - their different perspective and suggestions as to how/where to make improvements was definitely helpful. This "2nd set of eyes" provided a unique sounding board, something I realize is missing in my current studio environment. Often times when working alone, it is easy to get attached to a particular piece/concept and thus can not "see the forest for the trees" Having a peer group to offer constructive feedback provided a great avenue to learn something new and I very much enjoyed the company of my classmates.