Smoke Tree 1953

Paul Landacre made this wood engraving, "Smoke Tree," at some point in his career. Look at the way Landacre coaxes light out of darkness with these marks! It's a patient, almost meditative process. The textures here are everything. Notice how the parallel lines create a sense of form and volume in the mountains. Those lines feel almost topographical, like a map carved into the surface. Then, there's that delicate smoke tree in the foreground. The contrast between the solid mountain and the airy tree is just beautiful, isn’t it? It’s like a whisper against a shout. Landacre was a master printmaker, and you can see echoes of artists like Rockwell Kent in his work. But he brings his own distinct vision to the landscape, a vision that embraces both the grandeur and the quiet intimacy of nature. Ultimately, it's about feeling the weight of the mountains, the lightness of the air, and the way it all comes together in this little square of paper.