Sally Brophy, ” The Pond,” white line woodcut

What is a white-line woodcut? Why use wood when you can just paint on paper? Who came up with this idea? Artist Sally Brophy will answer these questions and more about this fascinating process that originated in Cape Cod 106 years ago, as she guides you through creating your own blocks and prints. This art form is very approachable for beginners, and a fun exploration for experienced artists. The January class was sold out, so a February class has been added!

The first thing you’ll do is make a white-line print from pre-cut blocks, guaranteeing that everyone walks away with a unique artwork. As the creative juices continue to get stirred, Brophy will also be giving you some background on the intriguing history.

Brophy has been creating white-line woodblock prints for more than 20 years and teaching the technique for 15 years. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Cape Cod Museum of Art and the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, as well as in collections throughout the U.S. She was featured in the HBO film “Packed in a Trunk – the Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson”. Wilkinson is one of the artists you’ll learn about, along with Brophy’s teacher Kathryn Smith, who was taught by her grandmother, Ferol Sibley Warthen. Warthen learned from Blanche Lazzell, one of the artists who developed the art form. Lazzell was among the first artists in the U.S. to work in a modernist style. Her white-line prints have recently sold at auction for over $100,000. This lineage of printmakers represents both the rich legacy and the vibrant contemporary community of white-line artists that continue to create today.

The class will be held Saturday, February 15, from 12:30-4:30 (snow date February 22) at Local Color Gallery, 135 High Street in Belfast. $45 includes all of the art materials, sign up at the gallery or email: Gallery@localcolorgallerymaine.com. The class is limited to 18 students ages 12 to 112.