Pomfret artist and printmaker Marilyn Syme has brought her latest technique – white line woodblock printing – to the Gifford Gallery in a show that runs until Jan. 25.
Syme began studying white line woodblock printing, also called “Provincetown Print” because it was developed by a group of Provincetown and Cape Cod printmakers in 1915, this summer under Kathryn Smith of Provincetown.
As can be seen in Syme’s stunning prints now on display at Gifford, white line printing involves using a single block of wood. The areas that will remain white in the print are cut or carved into a poplar or pine block. The white lines become part of the design and also separate color areas.
The deep groves in the wood can also be used to emboss the image by increasing the pressure of the printing process. Examples of this too are shown at Gifford.
An accomplished artist, Syme has also studied woodcuts in Tuscany, Italy, and solar printing in recent years.
Previously she spent nearly 40 years designing, producing and marketing gift items.
A graduate of Oklahoma State University with degrees in art and clothing, textiles and merchandising, Syme’s career has encompassed both. And her work has even been featured in national publications, like “House Beautiful,” “Country Living,” “Good Housekeeping” and “Victoria.”
More recently, she has also been focused on converting her trompe l’oeil paintings of window views into silkscreen editions.
To see Syme’s latest works, visit the Gifford Gallery, located just inside the main lobby and to the left. The show is free and open to the public. Learn more about Syme online at www.msyme.net.
