Artist book.

It is a tradition to make a yearly card for the Chinese New Year celebrations amongst Mokuhanga printmaking community. This is my first contribution in February 2025.

I went a bit over the top and created a small artist book. The snake seemed to lend itself to lovely folding book structure, creating interesting patterns of light and shadow. The main motif is the back markings of a European adder that I have free hand painted in mostly continuous line, reminding me of a calligraphy paintings so popular in East Asian regions. The adders are possible to spot on the moors near where I live, often basking in the early morning sun, before they get disturbed and disappear into the heather and bracken.

The Front cover is the parade of the planets, that were visible early in 2025.