“Unfettered Flow” was created by floating sumi inks on a pan of still water, and laying paper over the water surface to take up the inks. This is a delicate way of creating a monoprint, which is a print with a single unique version. Thanks to Photoshop, though, I was able to go further and make a monotype, basically a monoprint which has been modified after it is created so that each version is slightly different. (This isn’t quite an accurate definition in the traditional sense of these two terms, but in our modern digital world it is the closest I can come to a definition… I hope someone reading this post will add to this if they feel so moved!) I scanned the original print and modified it in Photoshop, enhancing some parts, “dehancing” others, and adding a bit of texture, until I had what is posted here. For me, Photoshop is a wonderful tool for expressing the “deep structure” of what I start with.

“Reflected Tree” is just a part of the years-long journaling I have maintained of images of Beebe Lake near Cornell: we live just a few steps away and there is so much to see there as the seasons and weather change. This was taken early this spring before all the foliage greened up, and geese with their goslings were all over the lake (the goose was cropped out in favor of emphasizing the verticality of the image). Other than that, no liberties were taken with this photo!