Themester

Lily Bird MacNeil-Kitscher is one of the designers in this year’s Themester poster series. MacNeil-Kitscher graduated in May 2023 with [degree]. Her work can be seen on Instagram, @lilybird.art. 

 

This year’s theme is Lux et Veritas, or Light and Truth. What does that mean to you and how did you incorporate elements of that into the design? 

When reflecting on the theme, I thought of nature, the laws of the universe, and the way light works. I thought of humans and our search for truth. Every human on earth is searching for answers, grasping in the dark. Meanwhile, nature is very certain of itself; it knows only truth. Really, the only place where truth is not inherent is within the minds of humans. In my design, I knew I wanted to point to nature. Every plant was drawn from life, sitting with the real plant and drawing it right onto the woodblock. 
I was also thinking about levels of understanding. In the print, I already made many levels from light to shadow. Some people will only see "plants,” but others will be able to recognize and name them all.

 

Where did your inspiration stem from and how did that develop into the final product? 

My original design was based on lots of researching, contemplation, sketching, and discussing. I put plenty of time and effort into it, but I couldn't bring myself to get started on the final process. I put it off knowing something was missing. My designs felt forced and uninspired. Then one day, I saw the scene, a flowering Queen Anne's lace illuminated in sunshine, glowing at the edge of the dark green summer forest. That simple moment, such a common scene, washed away all of my work up to that point. I let go of all my other ideas and followed this image's guidance, not sure how I would explain its connection to my prompt. Later I realized, I did not find the truth, the truth found me. 
 
The truth is already there, whether you know it or not. You may realize one day that all of your research and efforts did not bring you to it. If truth reveals itself to you, accept it. Even if your ideas were hard-earned, what are they worth when the truth is illuminated right in front of you?

 

You approached this poster design through physical printmaking first, and then copying it as a digital print. What was that creative process like? 

While the digital portion was to me just a chore on my to-do list, the printmaking was an exciting and joyful dance. I worked quickly from my inspiration, sketching right onto the woodblock, carving, printing, sketching the next layer onto the block, and repeat. To those who don't know, woodblock printmaking is pretty much making a stamp carved from fancy plywood. The process I used is called reductive printmaking, where all the layers are carved and printed from the same piece of wood, as opposed to carving a different piece of wood for each layer. The different colors are achieved by carving more of the design into the wood and printing with a different color each layer. I make sure that I will be making creative choices all throughout the process by leaving a lot undecided, but putting a lot of effort and focus into every step when I get to it. I went outside and picked out a plant to add with each layer, not planning out which would come next. I mixed my colors as I went, adjusting them based on the last print's results.  

Something that was sadly lost in the translation from traditional to digital print was the variation. Because I apply the pigment by hand for each print and I make little adjustments as I go, the physical prints are all a little bit different, but I had to pick just one of them to scan and make the final poster.