Still Life & Street Scene

This is my current carving project, a 15” x 15” basswood relief based on a 1937 woodcut of M. C. Escher. The design combines some near objects (still life) on a window ledge with a street scene of buildings, shop fronts, and people. It is difficult to see the separation of the things. The books among the still life line up with the buildings beyond. The street is an extension of the window ledge. Escher was famous for these visual tricks.

A woodcut is a flat design. Portions are cut away, leaving parts that collect ink that is rolled across the surface and a sheet of paper is pressed onto the inked pattern. But in this case (relief) the design is carved to various levels to represent the depth of various parts of the picture. The deepest point is where the street turns near the center, so I start by carving down to that level.

-- You know, this site doesn't require woodworking skills, but you should know how to write.