Jacks Peak

Gordon Louis Mortensen

Mortensen found the inspiration for his color woodcut Jacks Peak at Jack's Peak Park in Monterey County, California. The county park includes eight miles of horseback riding and hiking trails which wind through forests and edge ridgelines offering breathtaking coastal views. Jacks Peak Park has the largest native stand of Monterey Pine forest in the world. Mortensen focused his vision on an open space edged by the forest where golden windflowers seemingly dance against their purple foliage. Mortensen has mastered the technique of layering colors to provide depth, delicacy, shadow and light.

Gordon Mortensen commented on the process he uses: "Only one woodblock is used. On it an image is drawn in India ink. Before the first color is printed, any areas that are to remain unprinted (white or the color of the paper) are cut away from the surface of the block. Then an oil base ink is used to print the first color on all of the sheets of paper that are to be used for the edition and proofs. After the first printing the block is again cut, removing any surface of the block that is to remain the first color in the finished print. After each subsequent color is printed, the block is cut, the process continues until the print is finished and most of the surface of the block is cut away."