Together Through The Mist

This print is inspired by a photograph of our child hiking with three friends in the woods. Throughout this winter, we have met up once a week with a couple of friends to hike in the woods. The kids have become extremely agile running through the forest, creating narratives throughout their walk. It feels like the most “free” that we have been able to be during this pandemic; we can go wherever we want, on and off the paths, up the rocks, over fallen tree branches. I also fee free watching the kids be able to run without fear of cars, unrestricted by buildings and walls, in the middle of this beautiful landscape. Available for purchase at this link.

Four multi-colored striped and masked cats climb rocks in the middle of a misty forest. The cats are red, orange, purple, and black stripes, wearing different colored masks. They are all climbing a series of rocks. In the background is a blue sky printed from wood grain texture. There is a layer of purple trees behind the cats. The rocks are curved, dominating the frame. Mist creeps in from the background and foreground; these cats breath in the fresh air of the morning. The cats crawl across the image, following each other on a mission to the top of the rock formation. This print has a first layer of blue woodblock grain, to give the sky a blue and white texture. There are then 5 layers of  reduction linoleum block printing with one layer being a rainbow roll of two colors, and the mist is created by using a spray paint stencil of grey and silver inks. Signed, edition of 30. 9 colors. It’s a very large print, 2 feet by 3 feet in size.

This is a part of a print series called Cooperation Cats. Created in 2021.

Turning Together

09Turning Together_1500

This is a 7 color reduction cut linoleum block print with woodblock and spray paint stencil. It is in an edition of 27 prints. It has very thick ink layers, so it feels like a painting. Thick thick texture. Available for purchase at this link.

Two cats, one wearing an apron and a smaller cat work together to turn the wheel of a ceramic slab roller. The kitties are creating clay tiles together, and they are working together to create flat clay slabs with the help of this machine. This image depicts our child Fox, and our friend Zora, who were working together in this way and allowed me to photograph them and then make a print of their lovely collaboration.

The wall next to the cats has a squiggley design which was drawn by our 5 year old.

This is a part of a print series called Cooperation Cats. Created in 2021.

Rachel Leah Batashoff

I’ve been going through the archival documents and photos of our family and trying to find out all I can about the Russian origins of my family.

I discovered an envelope of pictures of Russian family members – some of whom survived the pogroms and World War 2 by living out the war years in the Ural Mountains. This is a portrait of my great- great grandmother Rahel Leah Batashoff. She was born in the mid 1800’s and moved to the US with her husband Benjamin and their 5 children (who came at various times). She made wine in Russia, traded and sold it to Russian soldiers, and then made it in New York in the bathtub during Prohibition to trade with Jews for wine for the Sabbath. Her husband was a barber and performed cupping treatments in the old country but was a manual laborer in New York.

The entire project is called “World Of My Mothers.” I began by making linocuts collage portraits of family members, and Fox scribbled around the people, and both of our lines were used to create collage portraits of my family members. Each portrait also contains photocopies of original family documents. In this portrait, there are copies of some of the Yiddish letters in my family collection, as well as a translation of one of the letters. Created in 2018.

Dvora Ehrlich

I’ve been going through the archival documents and photos of our family and trying to find out all I can about the Russian origins of my family.

This is a collage portrait of my great- great grandmother, Dvora Ehrlich. She migrated to the US in the early 1900’s, fleeing the pogroms in Austria. Her life is a mystery.

This piece is part of a collection of pieces called “World Of My Mothers.” I began by making linocuts collage portraits of family members, and Fox scribbled around the people, and both of our lines were used to create collage portraits of my family members. Each portrait also contains photocopies of original family documents. In this portrait, there is images of a shtetl, the type of community she lived in before migrating to the United States, and lines drawn by my kid. Created in 2018.

Judith Halpern Kashoff

I’ve been going through the archival documents and photos of our family and trying to find out all I can about the Russian origins of my family.

This is a collage portrait of my mother, Judith Halpern Kashoff.

This piece is part of a collection of pieces called “World Of My Mothers.” I began by making linocuts collage portraits of family members, and Fox scribbled around the people, and both of our lines were used to create collage portraits of my family members. Each portrait also contains photocopies of original family documents. In this portrait, there are lines drawn by my kid who was 3 years old at the time.

Nechama (“Annie”) Batashoff Simonowsky

I’ve been going through the archival documents and photos of our family and trying to find out all I can about the Russian origins of my family.

This is a collage portrait of my grandmother’s aunt, Nechama (Annie) Simonowsky. She owned a building in New York in the 1920’s, ran a newspaper stand during the depression, and by all accounts was a loving woman.

This piece is part of a collection of pieces called “World Of My Mothers.” I began by making linocuts collage portraits of family members, and Fox scribbled around the people, and both of our lines were used to create collage portraits of my family members. Each portrait also contains photocopies of original family documents. In this portrait, there are copies of some of the Yiddish letters in my family collection, as well as a translation of one of the letters. Created in 2018.

Rose Batashoff Basmak

I’ve been going through the archival documents and photos of our family and trying to find out all I can about the Russian origins of my family.

This is a collage portrait of my great- grandmother, Rose Basmak. She and her husband Abe migrated to the US in the early 1900’s, fleeing the pogroms in Russia. They survived during the depression by opening up a news and candy stand on a corner in New York. She died young at the age of 45 (cause of death unknown.)

This piece is part of a collection of pieces called “World Of My Mothers.” I began by making linocuts collage portraits of family members, and Fox scribbled around the people, and both of our lines were used to create collage portraits of my family members. Each portrait also contains photocopies of original family documents. In this portrait, there are copies of some of the Yiddish letters in my family collection, as well as a translation of one of the letters. Created in 2018.