My name is Christine Olson. I’m a printmaker and I’m happy to be sharing some scenes of my gardens in Readfield. I studied art at the University of Maine in Augusta and I’m a member of Circling the Square Fine Arts Press in Gardiner. Most of my printmaking is done on a linoleum block, similar to a woodblock.
Christine Olson, Blue Moon Harvest, reduction linocut, 16 x 16 in., 2020.
Blue Moon Harvest depicts my husband tending squash in the evening under a rare blue moon. This linocut was started in the fall of 2020, at the end of our COVID summer. We still weren’t going to many places, so our focus was on our gardens and growing food. It was a difficult time, but it was also a time to slow down and appreciate the beauty surrounding us in our own backyards and gardens.
Christine Olson, Lawn Mowing Meditation, 18.5 x 20.5 in., 2020.
Lawn Mowing Meditation was completed in 2020. Starting in the spring of that year, my husband began mowing larger and larger areas of the field beyond our lawns. COVID had arrived and in lieu of travel, we became more intimately familiar with our gardens and the trails, fields, and animals around our home. Mowing became my husband’s favorite outdoor activity, and he did it with such intention! I carved and printed this linoleum block on my dining room table. To simplify things, it was printed with one color.
Christine Olson, Poppies, reduction linocut, 19 x 19 in., 2019.
Poppies was completed in 2019 in celebration of their beauty. I grew up in California and always looked forward to the hillsides covered in bright orange poppies each spring. Several years ago, we planted poppies in our garden in Maine, and they’re always one of the first flowers to greet us in the summer. The linocut has 11 layers of color. This requires registering the linoleum and paper so that they print exactly in the same place every time, for each color.
Christine Olson, Summer Day Dream, reduction linocut, 16 x 20 in., 2020.
Summer Day Dreams was also completed during the summer of 2020. I had access to Circling The Square Fine Art Press in Gardiner once again (despite COVID), so I was happy to be working once more with colors. Some of the exaggerated colors and the composition give this image of my backyard a surreal quality. Given the year and the isolation that we experienced, it really seems appropriate.