Kirsten Francis - Artist's Statement In order to create my work, I combine elements that are purely visual, almost instinctive, with a very precise, labor intensive process of color reductive woodblock printmaking.  The combination of loose drawing and multi-sourced imagery,  along with the slow process of carving, inking, and printing the woodblock, creates a tension in the work.  The flowing movement of the original drawing contrasts with the Meidieval strength of the woodblock medium.  The carefully layered colors and built up borders constrain, yet enhance the metaphorical quality of the image. I use the human figure and symbolism from myth and fairy tails to express the beauty and paradox of the human experience.  The contemporary is combined and juxtaposed with images from myth and archetypal symbolism to create a narrative of sorts.  The composition is often broken up into seperate panels, much like a comic book, and the effect is to create many different contexts  in which the images can be related and understood. I use the color reduction printmaking technique, whereas only one wood block is used to create successive layers of color.  Each layer is created by carving out additional areas of the block, rolling it up with an oil base ink, and then printing it onto paper.  Kirsten can be contacted at: 2174 Montgomery Av #B Cardiff, CA 92007 760-634-8129 krfrancis@home.com