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Drawing this extremely twisted juniper snag on the Fisher Towers Trail proved to be an absorbing challenge for me. Drawing it first with graphite laid the groundwork for cutting a linoleum block. I printed an edition of 7 in black ink.   Gordian Knot by Deborah McDermott

Oil pastel offers me a workable drawing medium: I can put it on and take it off. By using sgraffito technique, I am able to achieve the graceful lines in the wood grain.

  Entanglement by Deborah McDermott

sgraffito technique:

Removing paint can be as important as applying it. Sgraffito is the term used when you scratch away paint while it's wet to expose the underpainting. It's especially useful when depicting scratches, hair, grasses and the like. You can use almost any pointed object for this – try rubber shaping tools or the end of a brush.