Petersham, MA: The Lone Oak Press, 2009. Hardcover. Master wood engraver Abigail Rorer is considered one of the finest engravers working today. She founded her Lone Oak Press in 1989 and has published many beautiful works that often focus on nature - animals, flowers, trees, and water. Abigail has also provided lovely illustrations for other private and commercial presses. Her fine press books have been in numerous exhibitions in the U.S., U.K., and Ireland. They can be found in many public and private collections.

Number 26 of 66 copies. Signed by the artist. A poignant poem about a beautiful tree that is slowly dying and reflections by the author on her own mortality. Illustrated by the author with five wood engravings. In the enclosed afterword the artist elaborates on her relationship with the tree: “One day we were surprised to discover a string of scarlet beads hanging on our beloved tree. They didn’t seem to belong there. After work on The Matriarch of the Forest [a book about this favorite tree] was complete, the engraving of the branch with the beads reminded us of the garish red polish painted on the fingernails of an elderly friend who was approaching the end of her life. She was unable to articulate her wishes any longer ... and we knew she would have hated [the red polish]. It diminished her dignity in the same way the scarlet beads defiled the tree.” Fine in blue paper wrappers with cream cloth and paper title label. Wood grained endpapers. Housed in a grey cloth covered slipcase with a copy of the paper-bound two page afterword included. Unpaginated. [10 pages.] PRI/100616. Fine.

Item #30545

Price: $185.00