Behind the Scenes: Night Swimming
Rosslyn, VA as seen from Georgetown Park, D.C.
Origin of an Idea
I did this sketch in June when I was visiting Georgetown Park in Washington DC. It depicts the Rosslyn, VA, skyline from the banks of the Potomac River. I always loved this view when I used to live near the area.
Similar sketch of the Lynchburg, VA, skyline
Sketch of Lynchburg
When I got the call for entries to Big Ink, I decided to carve a similar image, but wanted to do something closer to home. I love the James River and how it winds its way through Lynchburg on its way to Richmond, where I first moved to Virginia exactly 50 years ago, while in high school. I decided to sketch the Lynchburg skyline from across the James.
Rough sketch takes form on the plywood. I painted the wood blue for contrast so I could easily see where I carved.
Drawing on the Plywood
Everything must be a mirror image if you want the print to be true to a particular place or thing. In some cases, it doesn’t matter. In this case, however, it was important so I drew it all backwards, even though this rendition was never meant to be exact. (We have photography for that!) I removed the boater because I wanted the focus to be on the juxtaposition between the built environment and the natural environment. I also turned it into a night scene.
(Continued…)