Trees
Trees were the source of inspiration, but they were also the material the woodblocks were made of, as well as the source material for washi, the paper he printed on. When he received the woodblocks he ordered, he would run his hands over the surface of the block. Since the wood he used was hardwood, its smooth surface was not scratchy or rough like pine wood. The surface feel was like running your hand across silk. Hnizdovsky would say that the block was dictating how it wanted to be carved. Washi’s appeal for Hnizdovsky was largely due to the numerous inclusions within the paper, pieces of bark, tiny twigs, the beautiful handmade look of the paper.
As for subject matter, trees were fascinating due to the patterns of the bark, the intricate lattice of branches, the patterns the leaves created, and even more so, the intricate, often knotted roots. Hnizdovsky would sit for hours at the botanical gardens sketching trees. On weekdays, the artist would take his triangular chair and large sketchpad and spend the whole day at the parks. On weekends, he would also have his family in tow.
The park would close, the artist was nowhere to be found. Park security would be dispatched to find the missing artist. After 30-45 minutes, sometimes closer to an hour, they would return with the artist, sitting in the back of the jeep, his huge sketchpad in tow. Hnizdovsky’s obliviousness to his surroundings was well known in the botanical and zoological parks of New York.
Hnizdovsky always said, the hardest part about drawing trees or creating tree woodcuts was to make sure each branch attached properly. Everything had to connect. His careful attention to detail, the weeks or months of carving a woodblock and the resulting prints are a testament to that dedication and attention to detail.
