Joram Roukes - Orcas Island, Washington, USA (Hand Embellished Edition 4/10)

Silkscreen print, edition of 10, signed, hand embellished,and numbered by artist, unframed

Destination: Orcas Island, Washington, USA

Date: 16 - 22 November, 2016

Jaunt #029

approx. 27.5"h x 19.75"w

"I was expecting Orcas Island to serve as a redemptive and refreshing break from 'the grid'. As a kid I used to be in nature a lot more. Now, as an adult, cities and urban environments are of great fascination to me. I wanted to indulge in a peaceful and natural environment again, and briefly go back to those feelings from my childhood. I've seen more shades of green than I've ever seen. Moss. Trees. The emerald water. And the emptiness. It felt like I had the island all to myself. As an avid lover of birds, seeing bald eagles fly around the island was definitely a highlight as well. That bird is just so majestic.  

The island has been colonized by a group of artists seeking serenity and refuge from the mainland grind. I found many little galleries and workshops around the island and the art was such an amazing reflection of the peaceful mindset on the island. It is the kind of stuff I would normally cynically dismiss as kitschy. But here it made sense and I found myself appreciating the pottery and watercolours that the local artisans were making here. There was a calm beauty to it.  
I did, not surprisingly, let my eyes be led by existing fascinations and aesthetic pre sets. I took photos of rusty cars by the side of the road. Decaying farmhouses. Hints of urban decay mapped around the island. These I used as references for a set of pen and ink drawings that I assembled as a collage for the print. Together with references to the Island and my personal input, all of it resulted in a red and blue collage, celebrating my days at Orcas Island."