Woodcut

Phillia Yi’s color woodcuts were shown in two exhibitions in Rush Rhees Library on the University of Rochester campus recently.  “Falling Gardens” is one of her woodcuts.  According to Yi’s profile in Mary Stewart’s Launching the Imagination, she "draws directly on luan plywood, cuts away the negative shapes and inks the raised positive shapes to create abstract images" and then develops a print on heavy rag paper with an etching press.  I know what you’re thinking; what does that mean Gunionator?  Well, grasshopper, I’m glad you asked.  Yi draws on the wood, carves the wood surface around and in between her lines (negative shapes) so that the drawing remains raised (positive shapes) and can be inked and pressed on a print.  There are several good utube videos that show how woodcut is done.