Cyril's Kite over Blackwoods Hill | Etching 67 of 75 |

About the Artwork

Cyril’s Kite Over Blackwood’s Hill is a striking 1996 aquatint and etching by David Blackwood, widely regarded for his powerful visual storytelling rooted in Newfoundland's outport culture. In this panoramic winter scene, Blackwood returns to his childhood home of Wesleyville, capturing both the town’s architectural detail and its enduring spirit under a star-filled sky.

The composition is dominated by the arc of a single soaring kite, whose long, colourful tail trails across the dark night like a ribbon of memory. It floats high above the snow-covered homes and winding roads of Blackwood’s beloved “Blackwood’s Hill,” anchoring the piece in both personal geography and shared imagination. The scattered figures below — some grouped in conversation, others walking through drifts — convey a sense of quiet community amidst the cold. The tilted perspective and expansive format create a dreamlike sense of space and scale, inviting the viewer into a private recollection transformed into myth.

The vivid bursts of colour in the kite’s tail stand out against Blackwood’s signature blue-black tonal palette, evoking the flashes of joy and wonder that live on in memory. The artwork exemplifies Blackwood’s technical mastery in aquatint and intaglio printmaking, as well as his singular ability to elevate everyday moments into enduring cultural icons. This piece is not only a tribute to childhood and place but also a poetic meditation on nostalgia, legacy, and the power of flight — both literal and symbolic.

Dimensions and Details

• Size: 15" x 36" (plate size)
• Medium: Colour etching and aquatint on paper
• Edition: 67/75
• Display: Professionally framed and archivally presented. Offered in pristine condition from the original purchaser.

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