Wandering Tattler, ‘Ūlili, Limited Edition, Hand Colored Block Print by Caren Loebel-Fried.
ʻŪlili are medium size shorebirds that “wander” extreme distances, and there is much still to learn about them. You can see them on shores and mudflats throughout the Hawaiian Islands and on shorelines all around the Pacific basin. Their non-breeding plumage of soft grey on top, lighter colored bellow, and breeding plumage makes their neck, chest and belly look like black and white zig-zag. They breed in surrounded by small shrubs and grasses. Monogamous, a pair builds their nest with pebbles. twigs and dry roots. Four eggs are laid, and the couple shares incubation for three weeks. Care of the chick is also shared until it fledges soon after hatching. ʻŪlili eat invertebrates and tiny fish and their call is a distinct, fast ki ree ree repeated over and over again. Their frequent tail-bobbing on land and yellow legs, make them easy to identify.
This is an original block-print, hand-pulled, hand-colored from a linoleum block. I transfer my sketch to the block, carve it, roll on the ink and hand-pull each print so every piece is unique. The printing materials are all archival: oil-based ink on a handmade Japanese printing paper. Colors are applied with watercolor pencils and inks. To preserve the colors it is recommended that you hang away from the sunlight.
Signed and titled at the bottom of the print in pencil.
You can learn more about Caren and her artistic process here.
