I began this print by making random pencil marks on a wooden plank. The marks evolved into a line drawing of a duck, a snake, a man-rabbit, and a hobble-skirted woman running away from an unseen threat. I incised the drawing onto the plank and began to print.
The Provincetown style of making woodcuts involves painting watercolor in the left over raised areas. I used my fingers and the wooden handle of a carving tool to rub against the back side of the paper to impress the wet paint. I had only a rough idea about the color design and improvised as I progressed from one section to another. The texture of the wood varied from fine grained to rough giving additional surprises as I printed.
My kids were eight and ten the last time I did a Provincetown print. (I made Christmas cards of a gator wearing a Santa hat.) The simple shapes and bright colors of Don’t Panic remind me of illustrations in children’s books. Perhaps my granddaughter Ava’s recent arrival has stirred up memories.
Blanche Lazzell, an little-known printmaker and painter from the first half of the 20th century, helped develop the white line print. She used much more subtle colors in her townscapes and florals. She was a master of arranging flat shapes in elegant designs.
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