"Intentional Realism: Handmade Prints
by Cecilia Leider"
Clouds
Beginning August 5, Cecilia Leider's woodcut prints will be on exhibit in the Edge Center Gallery. These woodcut prints vary in size from small to unusually large with a variety of subjects all derived from nature. Woodcuts involve carving away all the surface of a wood block that is not needed for the part of the picture that will be printed.
As Leider explains, "Each of the colors in these prints required a separate printing plate, which is keyed to the other plates and printed individually. For example, if a print contains eight colors and the edition size is 50 prints, there are no fewer than 400 separate printings involved in the production of the full edition." In a further description of the process, Leider says, "I draw, make the color separations, carve the blocks …and hand print all of my work myself. I still print the woodcuts with a wooden spoon or baren which allows me greater flexibility and textural variety. I enjoy pushing the limits of size and color in woodcuts."
The title of the exhibit, Intentional Realism, is clarified by Leider's explanation of how she relates to what she sees. "Through keenly focused observation of the natural world around me, realistic accuracy has become a search for truth. In the extended process of bringing an image into existence as a print, the meaning of the subject matter - both abstractly and in my own growth - reveals itself to me. In this way, the work that results is both a record of my discoveries, and a dynamic process of growth in itself. Consciously using the physicality of objects as a door to growth and transcendence in this manner, I call Intentional Realism."
 
Cecilia Leider is an exceptionally skilled and perceptive artist whose artwork is amazing both for its technical proficiency and its thoughtful meaning. Meet and talk to Leider at the Edge Center Gallery Opening Reception on August 6 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in conjunction with the Hospital Auxiliary's Arts and Craft Fair in the Bigfork School.
The Gallery is open from 1:00 to 4:00 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The Edge Center Gallery is next to the Bigfork School.
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