John Lewis, Freedom Rider
This is a portrait of John Lewis, based on his mug shot taken in Jackson, Mississippi, and surrounded by scenes from his life. It is 3-color linoleum block print, created using three separate blocks, one for each color. It is printed on Somerset Satin paper, and is loose (ie unframed and not matted) in a protective sleeve. The image size is 9" x 12" and the paper is 14" x 18."
Contact the artist: melissa@mswest.com
Or see the artist’s website: www.mswest.com
Width: 9in
Melissa West
I’m a printmaker today because once upon a time I took a long walk.
That walk was the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage trail that stretches for 500 miles across the north of Spain. It was magical: cobblestoned villages, large cities with their soaring cathedrals, rugged mountains, and miles and miles of walking across plateaus of wheatfields with nothing but the sun and my own thoughts for company. At night I stayed in pilgrim hostels in the company of pilgrims from around the world, who over dinner told tales of their homelands, and of the small miracles that we saw each and every day — miracles that still happen daily to us all, but that we’re often too busy or distracted to notice.
When I returned home, I tried to paint my experiences — I had up to that point worked in paint — but it just didn’t seem right. I realized I needed to work in a medium that matched the starkness and antiquity of my journey, and decided to try block prints. I sat down and carved twenty blocks in a row, and found that I loved this new medium. The steady progress of carving echoes the rhythm of walking, and I discovered new horizons in my imagination. Thus began my new journey, and I have never looked back.
Email: melissa@mswest.com
Website: www.mswest.com
Instagram: mswest.art
Facebook: melissawest_art
