Brian Keegstra
Woodcuts
About
After graduating from art school I worked as a graphic designer, then as a woodworker. I alternated between graphic design and printing jobs and working in carpentry and cabinetmaking, living in Montreal, Michigan and Maine. Eventually I built a house and studio in Brooksville, Maine where I now live. It seems that whether it is a forest or a piece of furniture my interests gravitate toward wood. My current position as Wildlands Steward for Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust is balanced by the time I spend in my woodworking shop/studio where I pursue both woodworking projects and printmaking. I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and I find many ways of doing this. My interest in woodcut printmaking led me to develop a laminated cherry wood block, which I produce and sell to other printmakers through McClain’s Printmaking Supply.
As an artist, much of my work is a response to the natural world, which has always had great allure for me. I’m most comfortable working in solitude, but I’m inspired by the work of other artists and invigorated by meeting other artists and those who love art and the natural world. It seems to me that the work of an artist is to simply observe life and respond with honesty and openness. Maybe that's really everyone's job description. Our life is our research. Though it often seems our society deems it a trivial pursuit, I feel that creating art is a meaningful and necessary response to life.
