Original Art Piece
Linocut print (framed).
16x16"
Limited edition 12 of 100.
Artist’s Statement
Jumping Mouse
Susan Munderich, 2023
Pickering, Ontario
Linocut
Cranfield Oil-Based Ink on Legion Paper
Print 10” x 10”
Paper 12” x 12”
This design showcases the jumping mouse (likely woodland) that ran into my boot one day on a City of Pickering trail, as it frantically attempted to evade a curious dog. Strangely, I did not know we had jumping mice in Ontario, and I had probably never seen one before because they’re primarily nocturnal. Even more strangely, I had two additional jumping mouse sightings fairly soon after this encounter. True to their name, jumping mice hop just like tiny kangaroos, and appear to have tails too long for the size of their bodies. This stretch of trail is home to a beautiful cluster of eight yellow lady’s slippers, question mark butterflies (you can see the white question mark on the underside of the closed wing), garter snakes, moles (hairy-tailed pictured in the print), eastern towhees, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and American toads, all of which I incorporated into this design, along with a variety of other creatures and plants. This cacophony of flora and fauna reminds me of the “hidden pictures” puzzles I loved in Highlights magazine when I was young. Some of my designs include underwater scenes, and in this print I decided that an underground view would not only add variety, but also offer the opportunity to include a few seldom-seen creatures. The 10” x 10” block was carved with Pfeil and Speedball tools, and the edition of 100 is printed in Cranfield oil-based ink on 12” x 12” Legion paper.
