Author: Jessica Wolfe

Hermit Thrush Carving one of many in Phippsburg, Maine

Through the Hermit Thrush ceramics I’ve explored a number of finishes, colorways and processes to determine which are the most successful. Here are some iterations, feel free to share your thoughts and contact if interest arises. These reliefs begin at $275, email: contactpetroglyphist@gmail.com

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The hermit thrush, known for its hauntingly beautiful song, symbolizes the connection between art and nature. Its intricate details and graceful form became the perfect subject for my ceramic project. I envisioned creating a series of tiles that not only captured the bird’s likeness but also celebrated the textures and nuances of its natural habitat.

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Nestled along the picturesque coast of Maine, Phippsburg offers a perfect backdrop for artistic exploration and creativity. Heading into fall, work is officially wrapped up in Phippsburg. The carvings are complete and traffic is good, as I led tours throughout the summer we had visitors from as far as Iowa who came out to see the petroglyphs. They are becoming popular in the region. If you find yourself in Maine, make sure to take a trip to the Phippsburg Land Trust McKay Farm Trail where you can witness the lasting mark. I hosted some printmaking workshops while I was in town which fed my need to connect to the community.

2024 was spent making molds of petroglyphs and after long hours in the studio figuring out best practices, some very successful ceramic reliefs now exist and are for sale. I am in conversations with galleries looking to show them sometime. Here is an example of the Hermit Thrush carving from Phippsburg which has become a beautiful, vignetted denim blue ceramic tile. The molds hold the quality of the carvings quite well.

Feel free to get in touch if these spark your interest, contactpetroglyphist@gmail.com the smaller tiles starting at $275.

After completing the Phippsburg petroglyhs in 2022, Down East, a popular Maine centered magazine, did a write-up on my process and thinking around the pieces and petroglyphs in general.

Quartz wrote about my history with collecting Afghanistan war rugs and the rise in popularity of drone images. Check it out here. It includes the Red, White, and Blue Drone Rug, the Predator Drone Rug, Red Rug 13, Abstract WTC 9/11 Afghan War Rug #2, Bomber Helicopter Style War Rug, the Beautiful Afghan Province Map Rug, and the WTC rug all of which can be explored in detail on Warrug.com.

NPR and The World also did a couple write ups on the subject. It’s nice to see War Rugs getting some interest in the public sphere.

East Bay Times wrote about my history with making petroglyphs back in 2016 when I visited Berkeley where I carved some of my favorite petroglyphs. Check it out here. A PDF version is available on the site as well.

Kris Scheifele conducted an interview for NY Arts a few years back that entered into some really interesting conversations about petroglyphs, graffiti culture, my documentation process and anonymity in art. Check it out here.

New York Public Radio wrote a piece detailing the petroglyphs over the years. Check it out here: Hidden City: Unearthing Kevin Sudeith’s Urban Petroglyphs

NPR covered the Big Fish Petroglyph in Smelt Brook, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia discussing how the petroglyphs come from real life people, things, stories. It’s a nice interpretation of some of the exciting revelations that have happened over the last few years.

After completing the Annmarie Sculpture Garden petroglyphs, a few write ups were completed. The carvings were commissioned by The Art Center in Maryland, all contributing artists were written into this exhibition post, including my work which details the process a bit. The Leader and The Baynet also wrote about the petroglyphs at Annmarie Sculpture Garden.

In 2013, Hyperallergic did a comprehensive report on some of the processes involved with creating petroglyphs, with a focus on the Smelt Brook Piece, and conducting a fun interview.