Another Escher Relief - "Day & Night"

[pallin]

As you know, I find my carving inspiration in the graphic works of M. C. Escher. The full catalog includes 450 woodcuts, engravings, lithographs, etc. Below is a design from February 1938 called "Day & Night." I'm now starting the process of thinking through how this could become a relief carving. Should it be built up from different woods? Or selectively stained?
The tessellation of flying birds in the upper center would work best with overlaid cutouts, but the villages at the lower left and right would be intricate carvings. The checkerboard fields could be stained. Comments?

DaynNight.jpg

[Eddy-Smiles]

Wow! Looking forward to seeing the finished carving!

[woodburner807]

Wood burned?

[pallin]

Well, Eddy-Smiles, it may take nine months or a year. You have probably followed my progress before.

[pallin]

Woodburner607 - No, not pyrography. I only do relief carvings. This will likely be carved into a blank of walnut & basswood like "Sky & Water:"

Done.JPG

[woodburner807]

I was thinking for an accent, but obviously, if you want to replicate I understand. Regardless, looking forward to following the work and it is enchanting.

[pallin]

This carving does call for accents like the fine lines in fields, etc. I have usually done that with gel stain rubbed into the lines. The originals of Escher's works are often woodcuts (printing blocks), so I'm not making a replica either.

The plan is converging on a build-up of light and dark background woods with cutouts of contrasting woods for the birds, probably black walnut and poplar, with basswood for light colored cutouts. For this carving the color separation will be vertical in the center of the design.

sky&water.jpg

[pallin]

Looks like the size of the carving may be 21" x 12" in landscape. Or, it could be 27" x 16" which is the same dimension as "Amalfi Coast," another of the recent Escher-inspired carvings (but portrait).

Amalfi34 (2).jpg

[Arthur C.]

Phil, I would do the villages separately and apply as you do the birds. I think that would give more depth. I can't tell from the pic, but that might require some delicate carving.

[pallin]

Good idea! The villages are a mirror image of each other & might be easier to carve "off the base" like I did the birds & fish of "Sky & Water I" (w/colors reversed).

[joepaulbutler]

Hee Hee, here we go again, thumbs up

[Brian T]

I feel there's an invisible vertical center line which separates the "light" from the "dark."
But that the fields appear to be colored the same?

Me too, I think of chip carving the villages and adding them later. More opportunities to fix errors before they go onto the main panel.

[pallin]

Most of the vertical joint between light & dark will be covered by the cutouts of birds. Even the irregular shaped fields can be overlays. Doing the villages as separate carved overlays will allow for some creativity.

[Randy]

As always you have given your self a real challenge Pallin. Staining would be a challenge way out side my abillities as is the skill to do such a project. I also look forward to following you progress.

[pallin]

Randy - The staining of these relief carvings is similar to the carving process, that is, it is "subtractive." When carving we are removing the wood that is not part of our vision of the final form. When staining, I seal the smooth carving to make it possible to wipe off unwanted stain. Then I brush on gel stain mainly to get it into incised lines, textures, and undercuts. I remove (wipe off) the stain from surface where I don't want it. I can even scrape off dry stain as in the celestial objects in this relief: