The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary will feature the work of woodcut print artist, Gordon Hartshorne, which will be on display in the Blair Audubon Center foyer during the month of February 2011. The exhibit depicts the artist’s lifelong interest in nature, which inspired his interpretations of lakes, birds, woods, and flowers, often from his favorite landscapes of the Florida Gulf Coast and the North Woods of the Great Lakes.
Gordon Hartshorne (pronounced “hearts – horn”), a 1950 graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign is a nationally recognized artist. His work will be featured at the annual fundraising event at Krannert Art Museum on the University of Illinois campus in April 2011. The event, entitled “Petals & Paintings”, is sponsored each year by the Krannert Art Museum Council and raises money to support exhibitions and educational programs at the museum.
Hartshorne’s superb prints were created by hand pressing rice paper over ink-covered plates, similar to methods used for centuries in Japan. No printing press was involved. The plates were relief, usually hand carved in wood, and sometimes enhanced with paper, gesso, sand and glue. This simple printmaking process resulted in elegant textured graphic images.
The exhibition is open to the public during regular visitor hours at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; every day from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Corkscrew is home to a 2.25-mile boardwalk nature trail through the largest stand of old- growth cypress trees in North America. The trail is wheelchair accessible. Admission is $10 per adult, $6 per student and children under 6 are free. For more information call 239-348-9151 or visit www.Corkscrew.Audubon.org.