David Blackwood: Master Print Maker

David Blackwood: Master Printmaker is a stunning retrospective of the major works of one of Canada's most talented artists. Born in Wesleyville, Newfoundland, Blackwood grew up in a family with a long seafaring tradition. His great-grandfather was a captain; his grandfather was in command of the S.S. Imogene; and his father was a skipper in the fisheries. A strong history of oral narratives and the values of an active outport fuse with Blackwood's talent to produce works of art that speak in a unique voice.

David Blackwood: Master Printmaker brings together 135 of the artist's most evocative etchings, reproduced in outstanding color on high quality paper. The book's large format grants each work a 10 1/2" x 11" page for generous viewing, and each print is accompanied by concise commentary by novelist, poet and fellow Newfoundlander William Gough. The artist himself has also contributed explanatory text to accompany a series of working prints. A chronology covers the highlights of the artist's life and work, and novelist Annie Proulx (Shipping News) offers a moving appreciation of the artist in the foreword.

Newfoundland still considered itself a country when David Blackwood was born. People were united by their love for the sea and their total dependence upon it, and community ties ran deep and strong. Whether depicting the exhilaration of a ship's safe return from sea, the tragedy of lives lost to an angry ocean, or the quiet beauty of waiting at a window for a relative's return, Blackwood's prints are filled with story, drama and the deepest connections to a place and a people.