12 x 8 feet; Acrylic and Ink on Carved Wood

Carved woodblocks are often seen for printmaking, used to make multiple copies of an image, and then discarded, however I am attached to the woodblock.  I appreciate the physical weight of the block, the honesty of the carving, and the metaphors that the process holds.  Using brushes and other found objects, I paint and create energetic marks on the wood moving between spontaneity and improvisation to lay out the composition.  Carving the marks makes them permanent, unlike a painting where I may change my mind and paint over them.  While carving the plywood, I am conscious of the direction of the wood grain; carving with the grain requires less effort but with less resistance the tool can easily slip, and carving against the grain requires more energy but the resistance helps with accuracy. I fill in the carved marks with paint, changing the colors often to create a sense of movement and to reflect the emotions of joy and hope.  I paint the surface using brayers playing with color and contrast to the painted marks. Looking closely you will see additional marks added to the surface with silkscreen to create a playful illusion of space and depth. Not quite a painting but not printmaking either, "You're Doing it Wrong" creates a hybrid of the two and challenges our expectations of each medium.