Tom Killion
Tom Killion is a master of the woodcut. In his cozy
studio in downtown Aptos, Tom brings to life evocotive and detailed images
of the California landscape, from the rugged coast to the magestic peaks
of the Sierra Nevadas. Tom has taken what he has learned from the Japanese
and European masters of the past, and has developed a unique contemporary
style of his own. Tom uses up to a dozen carefully registered blocks
to complete a print, each block representing a color within the image.
Tom's work stands out because of the distinctly detailed linework in his
( almost always black ) key block, combined with a vibrant naturalistic
palette in his color blocks. In addition, the color blocks usually
contain subtle variations that must be carefully applied to each block
to create gradated sunsets or other gradual color transitions.
Matterhorn Peak, Spiller Canyon
Tom's latest project is an ambitious large format art book entitled
“The High Sierra of California.” The folio is the first book in a series
entitled "The Mountains of the West", published by Quail Press. The
work combines a grouping of approximately thirty of Tom's prints, with
excerpts from the unpublished journals of the poet Gary Snyder, written
while traveling in the Sierras in the 1950s and 60s, as well as excerpts
from John Muir's journals, and original storys by Tom Killion.
Click here to see Tom's contribution to
Earthvision 98. The Santa Cruz Environmental Film and Video Festival.
This detail from the left bottom corner of Matterhorn Peak,
Spiller Canyon shows the intricate linework that is typical of Tom's work.
Tom's woodblock press in his Aptos studio.
Several stages in the development of a print. Shown here
are the original sketch, the black key block, a blue color block, a test
proof of the key block, and a proof on acetate used for registration.
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Tom chooses a theme and produces a body of work on that theme.
The three images below are from a series entitled "The Coast of California".
In addition to the original edition, the series is also available
as notecards from Seabright Press.
Vicente Canyon, Big Sur
Santa Barbara Coast
Point Reyes from Double Point
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