This is a reproduction print of woodcut print titled “Bear-berry II".

"Leaves turn bright deep red for a short period before the frost, and they color treeless tundra hills. Everybody knows blueberries and cranberries, but not so well known are bearberries. Those who have ever walked on red-carpeted fall tundra may know what bearberries look like. If you see the bearberries with the bright red color leaves, you may want to know what those plants are called just because they are so beautiful to ignore." - Yumi Kawaguchi.

For creating the original image, Yumi hand carved and hand printed it as reduction, using one wood block total for 10 colors (9 layers of colors). She placed the lightest color first, then carved the block to the areas where she wanted to print the second color. Yumi repeated this process until the block had only the area for the last color, dark brown and black, so only the area for bears’ guard hairs and bearberries was left on the block.

* Details:
- Reproduction of woodcut print
- Signed by artist
- Open edition
- Matted size: approx 8" x 8"
- Select from framed or unframed options in the top menu
- Made in Fairbanks, Alaska
- Free Shipping

About the Artist: Yumi Kawaguchi
In 2001, Yumi came to Alaska as a student to study Wildlife Biology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. In 2006, she graduated with a degree, got married to someone with an incredible dog named Pierce, and has been living in Fairbanks ever since.

When Pierce slowed down with cancer, Yumi quit working in the field away from home and decided to stay with him and start making art. She started creating his prints as she tried to overcome the sadness of his passing in 2010. Yumi has been calling herself a Printmaker ever since. Pierce made her an artist.

Yumi creates art by hand pressing hand-carved woodblocks onto Japanese papers, Washi, through a traditional woodcut printmaking process. Each print is original with slight variations based on ink applications and multiple layers of different colors. Her art is inspired by nature and the wildlife she's witnessed over years of experience in the field working as well as many camping trips with her husband and their dogs.

Her favorite subjects are those that not many people recognize or have ever seen. She tries to share her observations, knowledge, and imagination to express both what she saw and felt in this incredible land in the far north.

Yumi creates prints to bring a smile to your daily life and to connect people to nature and wildlife in Alaska. She hopes you enjoy her art as much as she does.