In 2006 I became alarmed about global warming, and was motivated to create a body of work that expressed my concern. The project evolved as a set of 12 linocuts that might remind us of the importance and beauty of nature. I started writing haiku poems, taking artistic license with the definition of haiku. I chose one poem per month to use in a block print. Because of my training in and affinity for Asian text, I included Chinese and Japanese seals or characters in each block for graphic purposes as well as for content. About that time I encountered a work of art entitled “Comfort Me With Apples” and decided to borrow that phrase as a project title, because it was my experience of the January piece.
The process was enlivening. Looking for the poems reminded me to keep my eyes and heart open more during each day, in the garden, on a walk, driving past a field, and sometimes in the middle of the night. The blocks were printed in small editions of 36 in two states, and were very successful in the galleries. Ten percent of my profits was donated to organizations that focus on fighting climate change and promoting renewable energy.
Most of the months are sold out. There is one complete set still available, and they can all be seen on this site in the Editions section.