Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 1961

M.C. Escher made this wood engraving, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, in 1961. Look at the way he builds up tone, making it darker by adding more and more lines, and lighter by leaving the white of the paper visible. For me, the process of making art is very much like that, building up and then paring back, adding and subtracting until it feels right. Escher uses the marks to give the rose a three-dimensional feel, making it bloom right off the page. Notice how each petal seems to curl and turn, catching the light. The texture is incredible! In the bottom left you can see some handwritten text, it adds a personal touch, as if the artist is right there with us, sharing a holiday greeting. Escher had a deep interest in pattern and mathematical principles; you can see this at play in the careful arrangement of the petals. Another artist with an interest in botanical forms and pattern is the textile designer William Morris, perhaps reflecting the natural world's ability to inspire artists to make new images and ideas. Art is such a big conversation!