Kingsley Art Club
www.kingsleyartclub.org
email:kingsleyartclub@hotmail.com
Tom Killion
The Floating World of California Landscape
The City From Yellow Bluff
2009
Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Crocker Art Museum Auditorium
Tom Killion describes his technique, tongue-in-cheek, as “faux
ukiyo-e” (ukiyo-e translates from Japanese literally as “pictures of
the floating world”) to emphasize his aesthetic debt to the
landscape prints of the early 19th century Japanese artists, in
particular Hokusai and Hiroshige. European and American woodengravers and illustrators such as Eric Gill and Rockwell Kent also
had a strong influence on his work.
Killion carves his images into cherry, all-shina plywood, linoleum and other block materials using Japanese
hand tools. He prints his often elaborate, multicolored images on handmade Japanese Kozo papers using oilbased inks and an Asbern hand-cranked proofing press. A detailed description of his technique can be found
on his web site www.tomkillion.com .
Tom was born and raised in Marin County and learned to print letterpress books at UC Santa Cruz, where he
studied with William Everson. He produced his first book of woodcut prints in 1975 on UCSC’s Cowell Press.
In 1977 he founded his own Quail Press, where he has printed five handmade art books depicting landscapes
from California to Europe and Africa, four of which have been reprinted as trade edition books. Over the last
40 years, Tom has created over 400 relief prints, many incorporating his increasingly sophisticated multi-block
color techniques.
Tom also earned a PhD in African History from Stanford University and
taught History at Bowdoin College and San Francisco State. During the
late 1980’s, he worked in a refugee camp in Sudan and traveled as a
journalist in war-torn Eritrea, where after independence in 1993, he
spent a year as a Fullbright Professor at Asmara University.
Shell Beach, Tomales Bay 2010
Killion’s most recent books, The High Sierra of California (2002) and
Tamalpais Walking (2009) are collaborations with Pulitzer-prize-winning
poet Gary Snyder. Currently, he is working on a series of California
“Treescapes” as well as Bay Area and other landscape scenes. His studio
is located near Point Reyes on the Marin Coast.
The Crocker Store has copies of both Walking Tamalpais and The High Sierra of California in stock for
anyone who is interested in purchasing a copy.
Kingsley Art Club
February 2012 Page 2
President’s Message
Tom Killion is one of my favorite artists, but he is also a reminder of the history of the Kingsley. The
club was named for Elbridge Kingsley, a leading engraver of his time. While based in Massachusetts, he was
active in California from 1892. In that year, he donated a large group of his prints which were being exhibited
at the California State Fair to Mary Higgins who then established an art club in his name. That led to the
Kingsley Art Club’s 120 years of art education and appreciation. Thank you Mr. Kingsley and Mrs. Higgins for
the vision of an organization dedicated to learning about the visual arts!
My introduction to Tom Killion was through some beautiful notecards and his book Walking Tamalpais,
written in collaboration with Sacramento poet Gary Snyder. (Incidentally, Pia Lopez of the Sacramento Bee
recommended this book in her holiday gift suggestions a few weeks ago.) We have since acquired three of his
fine prints, including the one shown below at close to the original size of 4”x7”. This image, Inverness Ridge
Fire, reminded me of a childhood trip to Sequoia National Park. There was a forest fire in the vicinity, and I
remember being both frightened by the thought of the fire and fascinated by the beauty of the flames. This
print captures some of that feeling of terrifying beauty.
Volunteering can have some of that same attraction/repulsion. You may want to help, but you’re
worried about the amount of time it will take or that you don’t have the skills needed or that you’re waiting
for someone to ask for your assistance. It takes many hands to make an organization like the Kingsley work
smoothly, and we have some long-time Board members who are thinking of moving on to new challenges. If
you are at all interested in joining the team that keeps us going strong after 120 years, please feel free to
contact me or any of the other Board members. I’m sure we can find a volunteer home for you and help
overcome any qualms you may have. We hope to hear from you!
Susana Watson
President
(916) 354--0483
Inverness Ridge Fire, 1995
Copyright 2012 Tom Killion
Kingsley Art Club
February 2012 Page 3
Did you know?
Northern California has been instrumental in energizing fine print artists for almost 50 years. In 1962,
Crown Point was established as a print workshop in Berkeley and started publishing prints in 1965 with
etching portfolios by Richard Diebenkorn and Wayne Thiebaud. Since 1986, Crown Point Press has been
located in San Francisco, where it has a gallery open to the public and two large etching studios. The
press currently publishes etchings by five or six invited artists each year and holds summer workshops
open to all artists. Crown Point Press has been described by art historian Susan Tallman as “the most
instrumental American printshop in the revival of etching as a medium of serious art”.
Crown Point Press has two websites: www.crownpoint.com (their primary website which includes artist
information, a history of Crown Point, and a description of various methods of printmaking) and
www.magical-secrets.com (a site focusing on the creative process and the art and craft of printmaking,
primarily etching). Visiting these two websites will give you a great overview of the state of the
printmaking art, including a video of Wayne Thiebaud working at the press in 2011).
Sierra Cloud 2011
Recruiting for Program Committee
Do you wonder how the Kingsley pulls together such great
programs year after year? Would you be willing to help
make it happen? The Program Committee for 2013 is
getting underway and is looking for one or two people
who would like to learn the ropes. Chairperson Sally
Flory-O’Neil takes the helm this year, along with able
assistants Ann Kerr, Nancy Lawrence and Carolyn
Marmaduke. They would like to train at least one new
person this year, to assure we continue our quality lecture
series in the future.
You do not need to be an art expert to be on the
committee. You do need a love of and curiousity about
art, to keep your ears and eyes open for interesting topics,
and be willing to contact and follow up with potential
speakers. You may also be asked to prepare a newsletter
item regarding the speaker and/or introduce the speaker
to the audience. This is a great way to learn more about
both art and the Kingsley. If you are interested, please
contact Sally sfoneil@comcast.net or by phone at 916446-3390 for more information.
Wayne Thiebaud
2011-2012 Kingsley Board
and Committee Chairs
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Membership
Past President
Outreach
Member-At-Large
Awards
Elementary Docents
Newsletter Editor:
Susana (Susi) Watson
Ann Kerr
Barbara Pennington
Nancy Lawrence
Carolee Goude
Cathy Cook
Mary Linder
Katherine Henderson
Thea Givens. Liz Snyder
Barbara Johnson
Cathy Cook ----396-9659
Program Committee
Barbara Pepper, Ann Kerr, Sally
Flory O’Neil, Nancy Lawrence,
Carolyn Marmaduke
Travel Committee
Libby Figeroid, Johanna Sapunor,
Dorothy Coats, Sally Towne
Out and About
Winter Outing? Beat the winter blues—take a road trip to U.C. Davis and visit colorful works inspired by a
Native American artist! 1/10-3/16/2012 Ruthe Blalock Jones (Chu-Lun-Dit) Retrospective. Presents
artworks from the career of the internationally acclaimed Delaware/Shawnee/Peoria artist. Her works
focus on Native American women in dance attire and depictions of ceremonial and social events. She is a
former art director and professor at Bacone College, Muskegee, Oklahoma. Artist talk & reception Wed.,
2/15, 4-6 pm. CN Gorman Museum, UC Davis. More Information at:
http://gormanmuseum.ucdavis.edu/Exhibitions/exhfmst.htm
Crocker Events
Film Frame: A Place Called Sacramento Film Festival: (2011, 105 MINUTES, NOT RATED) THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 6:30 PM , $4
MEMBERS,$8 NONMEMBERS IN ADVANCE (BY 5 PM, FEBRUARY 1), $10 NONMEMBERS AT THE DOOR
Tour of the Month: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 11 AM & 1 PM, FREE TO MEMBERS (free w/ admission to nonmembers)
Art Mix: Heart & Soul-idarity: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 5 – 9 PM FREE TO MEMBERS (free w/ admission-nonmembers)
Member Morning : SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 10 AM – 2 PM. This is exclusively for members.
Classical Concert: Marlynn Smith, soprano , SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, PRE-CONCERT TOUR, 2 PM , CONCERT, 3 PM, $6 MEMBERS , $8
STUDENTS, $12 NONMEMBERS
Playlist: Dean-O-Holics: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 7 PM $10 MEMBERS IN ADVANCE (BY 5 PM, FEBRUARY 15),$14 NONMEMBERS IN
ADVANCE (BY 5 PM, FEBRUARY 15), $14 MEMBERS AT THE DOOR ,$18 NONMEMBERS AT THE DOOR
Open Art: When Dreams Are Interrupted : THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 7 PM , FREE TO MEMBERS , $6 NONMEMBERS IN ADVANCE (BY 5
PM, FEBRUARY 22), $12 NONMEMBERS AT THE DOOR
Kingsley Art Club
c/o Carolee Goude
6266 Heathcliff Drive
Carmichael, CA. 95608
kingsleyartclub@hotmail.com
www.kingsleyartclub.org
The Kingsley Art Club Newsletter is printed
and assembled by the staff and students of
the McClaskey Adult School.