“Twelve Monarchs & a Viceroy” is inspired by the plight of the West's most recognizable butterfly. In the 1980s, upwards of 4.5 million western monarchs overwintered in forested groves along the Central California coast. This spring, less than 30,000 of these iconic butterflies are left to lay their eggs on native milkweed and drink nectar from flowers, fanning out across the West as far north as Idaho and east as Utah. Less than 1% of these precious and most beloved of butterflies remains to us.Its bright, cheerful colors were an antidote during its creation for tough days through the Shelter-in-Place pandemic measures and the butterfly / flower carving was really fun and exacting at the same time. One block was used for the butterflies and one for the milkweed flowers, both reductions. A third block was used for the embossed butterflies, symbolizing the plight of our disappearing Monarch Butterflies.

Limited Edition of 37. (10 sold / 27 remain). This 3-block, reduction-method linocut relief is printed with @cranfieldcolours Caligo Safe Wash Relief Inks on Rives BFK paper, using my vintage Laguna Press “Alice”.Developed through observation, sketching, and the use of online photographic references for those hard-to-see-through-binocs details and posture.

Title: TWELVE MONARCHS & A VICEROY

Description: 3-plate, Multi-color Reduction Method, Blind Embossed, Linocut Relief Print

Year: 2020Limited Edition of 37Approximate Height Impression: 11 inches = 28 cm

Approximate Width Impression: 11.5 inches = 29 cm

Signature in pencil beside blind-embossed artist’s mark.