Shiawassee River Woodblock Series

The first set of 8 woodblocks all cut and ready to print.

I was raised in a house on the banks of the Shiawassee River. (The area is now the Curwood Castle Park and home of the Shiawassee Art Center.)
The sound of the river is one of my earliest memories and a sound that still brings peace to my soul.

The Shiawassee River has important ecoregional significance. It has been identified as the best remaining example of a warm-water river system within the western Lake Huron basin. From the headwater wetlands in Oakland County, with its prairie fens, wet meadows and swamps that support a diverse assemblage of rare plants and animals, to the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, which is a globally significant stopover habitat for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, the Shiawassee River is important to restore, maintain and appreciate. Locally as well as globally.

Cities and towns were built along the Shiawassee and each one is full of history because the river was their original highway. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said, "Rivers define the context that gives us our sense of community. They link us to our history, to our past and to the landscapes, which are the source, ultimately, of our values and virtues and characters as people. And they are also just magical places."

There is so much talk now about the environment. There is much to do. This woodblock series of prints will, I hope, draw attention to the importance of our rivers.