To start off our week of woodcuts, I am showing the work of Vermont artist Mary Azarian, who has over 50 children's picture books to her credit, amongst other work. Azarian's work is beautiful and highly detailed, she is clearly a master at her craft. Azarian says that inspiration comes from her farm and gardens.
A Farmer's Alphabet
From The Four Seasons of Mary Azarian, image via Black and White
Mary Azarian was born in 1940 and grew up on her grandfather's farm just outside Washington D.C. Her interest in gardening developed at an early age and continues to this day. She went to Smith College and studied printmaking with Leonard Baskin, one of the great 20th century printmakers. It was then she began to work on wood and says her interest in the medium has never wavered.
A Gardener's Alphabet
I loved Azarian's woodcuts for Snowflake Bentley, but wasn't aware of the magnitude of her work! Nikki McClure's style and work with paper cuts reminds me of Mary Azarian's woodcuts. Two extremely talented artists!
I'm definitely going to have to track some of these down!