I know it’s burning hot in the Northwest right now, but typically it’s known for rain and cool weather and I’m enjoying the thought of that right now in Pennsylvania.

I had always thought whales were off in faraway places where you need to go on a cruise to see them, but a friend shared photos from Puget Sound that blew that theory out of the water. That led me to learning more about where whales lived that I might be able to see them (someday, still), and I was inspired to create with what I had learned about whale flukes and pods and blowholes and areas where they live

I love the photos of whale breaches best, but I just wanted to find the essence of the moment, just “the whale’s tail, the water and the sky. “Whale Tail I” and “Whale Tail II” is a simplified, iconic image of a whale’s tail breaching the waves with the clouds over the water in the background. It’s a tiny linoleum block print in black on white rice paper and I wanted it to look like an illustration in an old book. Each print is only 2″ x 4″.

I had always admired the little illustrations I found in some of my books, just tiny images that said so much. Most illustrations in older books were etchings or relief prints of some sort, and as I studied those I found ideas blooming in my own imagination to use what I’d found.

I designed and cut these blocks in 2001. I recently printed another run on rice paper and stocked up with black only prints or tinted with blue in the sky and water, print only and matted and framed. Now that I have the capabilities for gift items, I’ve got plenty of ideas there too.

Variety of prints

The art size is 2″ x 4″, and I offer each print:

• as a print on rice paper only
• a print tinted with watercolors
• matted black only print with white black core mat to 5″ x 7″
• matted tinted print with blue black core mat to 5″ x 7″
• matted and framed black only print with white black core mat to 5″ x 7″
• matted and framed tinted print with blue black core mat to 5″ x 7″

You can find these two prints on my page for Wildlife Block Prints.

Block printing is a technique wherein the artist carves the surface of a piece of linoleum, leaving raised areas which will become the image. Ink is rolled onto these raised areas, then a piece of paper is pressed against the block and when it’s lifted away the ink remains, leaving the image on the paper.

Other items with the same art or design To find all items on this site with the same art or design, use the search box for the name of the artwork and you'll find all that's available.

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© 2022 | www.PortraitsOfAnimals.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit “purchasing” for availability and terms.