Ghost Ranch

Gordon Louis Mortensen

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."

This color reduction woodcut, "Ghost Ranch", was printed using 42 colors and 25 press runs. Ghost Ranch is a 21,000 acre retreat located near Abiquiu in North-central New Mexcio, 50 miles north of Santa Fe and was the home and studio of artist Georgia O'Keefe.