Early One October Morning (in So. Co.)

Kevin Fletcher

This monotype, printed in a sanguine colored ink, is Kevin Fletcher's response to the Tubbs fire in Sonoma County in October of 2017, destroying over 2800 homes in Santa Rosa alone.

Fletcher captures the sense of the 70+ mph winds with a tree that seems to "explode" in all directions. The the background is a swirling ball of light. The whole composition is done in a reddish, sanguine color - adding to the tension.

In a note to the gallery in May of 2017 Fletcher wrote:"When I begin the monotypes I don't have a particular goal in mind. My use of tools and an opening gambit will expose a set of possible directions. As the marks begin to overlap in at least three different areas of the ('field') rectangle, one can see a structured surface gradually come into focus that, by associative memory, bears its meaning and balance. Patterns of light and shadow, elements of water and gases (steam) are introduced to give natural forms a presence against architectonic ones.

The collective impact is a memory-based image, suggestive of a place, rather than being dedicated to exactitude and specificity. The speed of execution keeps the result hopefully fresh-looking and immediate, a bit spontaneous. A tension also comes from what some may consider a lack of finish and details. A pleasing result must be 'discovered,' not 'illustrated.' I find the eventual resolution of an image to sometimes defy an exact characterization. It may simply find stasis or climax based on techniques used."