New River Gorge Print

This original linocut print of the New River Gorge Bridge was made to represent one of the most visited locations in West Virginia. The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge that is 3,030 feet long and crosses over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia. The massive structure was constructed from June of 1974 and was completed on October 22, 1977 and cost nearly 37 million dollars. The New River Gorge Bridge is one of the most photographed places in West Virginia. The bridge was chosen to represent the state on the commemorative quarter released by the U.S. Mint in 2006.

The printed area of the linocut is approximately 10.5 in by 16 in on 12 in by 18 in white printmaking paper. Linocuts are handmade original prints, carved from one block or several blocks of linoleum with the help of sharp knives of different sizes. The actual cutting is like sculpting; the direction, strength, and even depth of the cut all contribute to the final image. All linocuts are inked by hand. For each one I print, I need to ink the plate again, which also means there can be small differences from print to print.