Judge’s notes: I gasped when I first saw this on my computer. There is an ethereal quality to this masterpiece. The artist has captured softness and strength, permanence and impermanence, the fragility of nature. This is one of those pieces that will be something unique to each individual viewing it. I saw moonlight and the skeletal framework of leaves fading away while others held tight. The berries look like jewels sprinkled about and floating in a night sky. The mystery and magic of this watercolor held me captive for quite some time.

Artist’s notes: This work uses a technique I created called "Echo Printing." I sandwich plant materials (in Winterberry, oak leaves and winterberry leaves and berries), between sheets of specially treated printmaking paper. The paper/plant layers are placed between two wood plates that are fastened together. The bundle is steamed in a dye bath for 1-2 hours. The paper is then rinsed and dried for a couple of days. After the prints are dry I paint them with watercolor and ink. Every print, usually six in a run, has an image on both sides. Each run of prints is an experiment and the results always a surprise!