burning the west wind

A friend of mine recently wrote to ask if I could find a source online where she could purchase a print of "The West Wind" by Ann Brigman, an early 20th-Century American photographer who was famous for photographing strong women in the nude in the Californian landscape. I had never heard of Brigman before, and I'm so glad that now I know her name, and know a little of her beautiful work. In my mind, I am grouping her together with Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'Keefe as women whose lives - as much as the objects they made/produced - were forms of artistic personal expression.

I would love - LOVE - to get my hands on a copy of her book of photographs and poetry, titled Songs of a Pagan, someday - but they seem to go for a lot of money on the vintage/antique book market.

Anyhow, I failed to find a place to order a print or copy of Brigman's photo. And in the meantime, my friend slipped on some ice and broke her wrist. I wanted to do something to cheer her up while she was in pain and dealing with the frustrations of limited mobility. So, I decided the next best thing would be to take this old 11" X 14" wood panel I had lying around that I hadn't used for anything, get out my woodburning tool, transfer the basic image to the panel and burn away.

It is out for delivery now, apparently in blizzard conditions. I hope it makes it to her! - And that she likes it!