Under $500 Archives - Lyell Castonguay

Sentinel
14″ x 20″ Woodblock Print | 18″ x 24″ Strathmore Heavyweight Paper
Edition 30
2026

For me, the American Robin is synonymous with changing seasons and warmer weather ahead. I love their coloring, a striking coppery orange breast complimented by charcoal and ivory hues. The way they dart about looking for insects and tug earthworms out of the ground is incredibly fun to watch! I am especially proud of this woodblock print because the subject has a special swagger that commands the viewer’s attention.

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Morsel
14″ x 20″ Woodblock Print | 18″ x 24″ Strathmore Heavyweight Paper
Edition 25 | Proofs 3
2026

There are many reasons to admire chickadees, but their prodigious memory is truly awesome. They hide thousands of food items throughout their range, and come to collect when food gets scarce. As I walk through the woods, I like to imagine being surrounded by their hidden caches. Also, how they recall where they stashed their tasty morsels is fascinating. Check out this article if you want to learn more.

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Dual Nature
This woodblock print is inspired by the theme of opposites: black and white, night and day, ying and yang. The idea took several drawings to refine. The concept was brewing in my subconscious after receiving several requests for a Loon image from clients. I wanted to make an image where the viewer dwells on harmonious opposites. It is signed on the back to hang on the wall in either direction.

Lyell Castonguay designed, carved, and printed this original artwork. Ink is applied to a carved wooden block and hand-pressed onto Strathmore 300 Series paper. Multiple carved blocks layer colors, resulting in a dramatic effect. The artist signed, titled, and numbered the edition in pencil below the image.

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Desert runner, the sea awaits
Date: 2022
Edition: 10
Proofs: 2
Size: 19 1/2″x11″ (excluding margins)

A piece written in the Portland Press Herald titled “Beep beep! This roadrunner hitched a ride from Las Vegas to Maine” inspired the creation of this woodblock print. The article explains how a roadrunner traveled as a stowaway in the back of a moving truck traveling from Nevada to Maine. By my calculations, the bird crossed 11 states and covered 2,800 miles! Long-distance travel is no big deal for migratory birds, but that’s quite a feat for the flight-averse roadrunner. The roadrunner was in good shape after having no food or water for days. Maine wildlife rehabilitators worked with the Game and Fish Department to file the necessary papers to send the bird back South. Now he’s back chasing lizards with one heck of a story to tell his friends.

Lyell Castonguay designed, carved, and printed this original artwork. Ink is applied to a carved wooden block and hand-pressed onto Strathmore 300 Series paper. Multiple carved blocks layer colors, resulting in a dramatic effect. The artist signed, titled, and numbered the edition in pencil below the image.

Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Low Rider
Low Rider features a snail cruising along the forest floor. Leaves, sticks, and camouflaged insects surround the subject. Snails have beautiful swirled shells. I wanted to highlight the elegance of this form by carving it in detail. I also enlarged the snail shell to a comical degree. Size matters in the animal world. No one will mess with this plucky mollusk! The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey inspired this piece. A snail takes up residence on the author’s nightstand. Bailey chronicles snail behavior and relays facts about these unusual creatures. It’s an excellent book.

Lyell Castonguay designed, carved, and printed this original artwork. Ink is applied to a carved wooden block and hand-pressed onto Strathmore 300 Series paper. Multiple carved blocks layer colors, resulting in a dramatic effect. The artist signed, titled, and numbered the edition in pencil below the image.

Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
The Subtle Trace of Fate
Date: 2016
Edition: 6
Size: 19″ x 13″ (excluding margins)

Gianni Verna of Nuova Xilographia in Turin, Italy, requested an image for a tribute show dedicated to the poet Guido Gozzano. Verna’s organization mounted an exhibit at the Castle of Agliè to celebrate the centennial of the poet’s death. Although Gozanno only lived to be thirty-three, his work brought him acclaim and admiration at an early age. He is still one of the country’s most recognized writers. A passage inspires my print in one of Gozzano’s most famous works, Absence.

The pool is resplendent. And stilled
are the frogs. But there flashes a spear
of blue ember, bright emerald
lighting: the kingfishers here…

Lyell Castonguay designed, carved, and printed this original artwork. Ink is applied to a carved wooden block and hand-pressed onto Japanese Kitakata paper. The artist signed, titled, and numbered the edition in pencil below the image.

Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Exodus
Date: 2014
Edition: 15
Size: 24 “x12” (excluding margins)

I created this image by appropriating John James Audubon’s original American Flamingo composition. Some Flamingo colonies reached over 1 million in Africa, so I wanted to express a feeling of frantic activity!

Lyell Castonguay designed, carved, and printed this original artwork. Ink is applied to a carved wooden block and hand-pressed onto Stonehenge paper. Multiple carved blocks layer colors, resulting in a dramatic effect. The artist signed, titled, and numbered the edition in pencil below the image.

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Hive
Date: 2014
Edition: 9
Size: 19″x16″ (excluding margins)

A swarm of birds performs aeronautical feats to gain upward mobility. Each is struggling to rise in the pecking order. The object of desire, a worm, is buried deep in the pile.

Lyell Castonguay designed, carved, and printed this original artwork. Ink is applied to a carved wooden block and hand-pressed onto Stonehenge paper. Multiple carved blocks layer colors, resulting in a dramatic effect. The artist signed, titled, and numbered the edition in pencil below the image.

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Messenger
Only one left!

Date: 2013
Edition: 14
Size: 16″x16″ (excluding margins)

One day, after my pet doves had finished bathing, I photographed one of them in this pose. The intensity of the bird’s gaze struck me, so I created this homage.

Lyell Castonguay designed, carved, and printed this original artwork. Ink is applied to a carved wooden block and hand-pressed onto Japanese Mulberry paper. Multiple carved blocks layer colors, resulting in a dramatic effect. The artist signed, titled, and numbered the edition in pencil below the image.

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