Tugboat 'Songbird + Cricket' Print Pre-Order Available

Artist: Tugboat
Title: Songbird + Cricket
Medium: Handpulled 5 Color Woodblock Print
Size: 11.5 x 14 Inches
Edition: UNSURE
Price: $275

Valerie Lueth, the visionary woodcut artist and creative force operating Tugboat Printshop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has established a unique artistic voice that bridges traditional printmaking techniques with modern whimsical narratives. Born in the United States, Lueth began focusing intently on printmaking during her university years, earning a BFA from the University of South Dakota in 2004, where she refined her meticulous skills in carving and relief printing. Since cofounding Tugboat Printshop in 2006, she has gained national recognition for producing intricate, hand carved woodblock prints that are published directly from large birch plywood blocks. A defining characteristic of her creative output is a profound, recurring love for astronauts and space exploration.

This affection for the cosmos manifests in nearly every piece of art she creates, transforming the technical, time intensive medium of woodcut into scenes that are both grounded in craftsmanship and surreal in subject matter. Astronauts in her work often appear as solitary, contemplative figures drifting through lush, detailed, and imagined landscapes or in surreal celestial environments. This thematic inclusion provides a poignant, humorous contrast between the analog nature of printing with ink and the futuristic, pioneering spirit of space travel. Among her notable, intricate works, the Wave print showcases her incredible attention to natural detail and textural depth.