Happy Groundhog Day!

Thermochromic Groundhog Day linocut, with and without shadow

May the weather prognosticating rodents be kind to you!

Chipmunk

He really did make this gesture, covering his face with his tiny paws. I couldn't resist adding the thought caption. This is based on a photo RJH took of one of the chipmunk gang at my step-mother's cottage. She feeds them, of course, so chipmunk hijinks are a common sight. They even knew where to find the bird seed tin and how to open it themselves. Once RJH had to chase one out of the cottage with his hat.

I carved the chipmunk's portrait, and the letters, in reverse, and printed an edition of 10 linoleum block prints in bronze and black on Japanese kozo (or mulberry) paper. Each print is 7.25 by 12.5 inches (or 18.5 by 31.5 cm). The colour varies slightly from print to print.

Happy Groundhog Day

OK. I confess. That is actually a bouncing lemming from the magpie & whiskeyjack post about Frida Fjellman... but Groundhog Day in this part of the world, with this particular winter, is quite the joke, isn't it? I mean, regardless of shadows and superstitions, we all know, winter ain't going nowhere. Really. Though, if rodents provide some entertainment, who am I to judge?

Also, how is it possible that it is February already?