amy mcgregor-radin

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images about the artist

My art comes out of the wide range of emotions that result from my full time work—that of being a mother, wife, and growing woman. Humor, love, anger, joy, pride, worry, frustration, pressure, fear, celebration, appreciation, introspection...the list continues to grow as I learn about myself through the process of making art.

Most recently, I have been creating white-line woodcuts, also known as Provincetown prints. When I go about my travels---daily or otherwise---I am often drawn to a scene, view of the horizon, or particular angle of an object. These are my favorite things to portray in woodcuts, in part, as a way of memorizing them for myself. This unique hand printing method gives me an outlet for expressing my appreciation for the world as I see it.

Over the last several years, I have also been experimenting with a wide range of materials: cut paper, acrylic paints, wood, canvas, found objects, threads, and photographs. With these, I have created a variety of constructions, wooden shadow boxes, prints, and paintings. These pieces often are the result of thoughts, phases, queries, or strong emotional reactions to life. I enjoy striving to express what I see or feel using a wide variety of material and skills I have picked up along the way.

What's a White Line Woodcut?
I create my prints with a technique called "white-line" woodcut or Provincetown print, devised by a group of Provincetown artists in the early 1900's. It differs from traditional woodcuts in that it requires just one block for all the colors. I transfer my design to a pine board and using an X-acto knife or other tool, incise around each shape.
Using watercolors I paint each shape individually, printing that shape onto the paper before moving to the next shape, essentially creating a monoprint. Hand printing an entire image takes 2-6 hours. This white-line technique blends my love for working with wood and playing with color and shapes. There is always an element of surprise to making a print, which is generally a good thing!

Amy McGregor-Radin received her BA from Michigan State University, and holds an MBA from Boston University. She currently lives in Newton, Massachusetts.