Arizona Flowers

Gordon Louis Mortensen

Arizona Flowers bears witness to the stunning celebration of the arrival of spring in the Sonoran Desert. Native Arizona wildflowers include Marsh Aster Aster spuciflorus, Brittlebush Encelia farinosa, Bluedicks Dichelostemma capitatum, Chuparosa Beloperone californica, Coulter's Lupine Lupinus sparsiflorus, Desert Chia Salvia columbariae, Desert marigold Baileya multiradiata, and Desert Primrose Oenothera primieris. Despite the warmth provided by the colorful display in the foreground, winter's chill still clings to the cool, purple mountains in the distance.

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."