I saw this post on Bluesky and absolutely loved the idea. And then I thought…what if I made this the prompt for my 2025 Patreon Print Pals series?

I was sitting at my studio desk with the window blinds open and a Yellow-Throated Warbler landed on my fence! They are typically found in the South so I thought it was strange that I was seeing one in California. But they have been reported in California. I thought maybe it was a different bird, but I distinctly remember the yellow throat, grey, white, and black small sized body.
(After making this print, I spotted a similar bird once again out the window and I think what I saw was a Yellow-rumped Warbler!)

Regardless, I decided to make my first print inspired by the Yellow-Throated Warbler!
And for 2025, I chose to make all of my prints reduction prints.

Reduction printing is when you print all of the colours using the same block. But with each colour, you carve away bits and pieces of the block to slowly create the image. It's a great way to get multiple colours, but the downside is once you move onto the next colour you can't go back. I kind of like the challenge that brings to the table when it comes to printmaking and one's creative process!

I've avoided reduction printing for a very long time because I just felt like I couldn't figure it out. But this year I really want to challenge myself, and so here's the first of 12 designs!

If you'd like to read more about the actual process behind the making of this print, I did a whole process write-up over on my patreon for all paying members!