Fire Bird 1946

Howard Schleeter made this print called 'Fire Bird,' and right away, I'm drawn to the bold moves he made with the woodcut technique. He fearlessly carved out these sharp, contrasting shapes, playing with light and shadow in a way that feels almost like a dance. There’s this intense physicality to the medium, isn't there? You can almost feel the artist digging into the block, each cut deliberate and full of energy. Look at the bird’s wing, it’s a flurry of lines and patterns, both chaotic and controlled. The textures are incredible, and each mark feels like a tiny piece of a larger puzzle. It reminds me of the work of someone like Max Ernst, who was also playing with these surreal, dreamlike images, but Schleeter brings this really distinctive, almost raw, energy to it. For me, this piece is a reminder that art is about exploration, about taking risks, and about embracing the unexpected.