Czech Graphic Artist Jaroslav Dajc is the best represented book plate maker in my East European ex libris collection with over fifty small format works in my listings. His fertile imagination comes up with ever new visual interpretations of stories from the Bible and classical mythology in prints both moody and mystical, whimsical and witty. You might find the Madonna and Christ Child with Pegasus the Flying Horse or the Crucified Christ (left) in the Garden of Eden with the forbidden fruit tree, a serpent holding an apple in its mouth, and a peacock, symbolizing eternal life. For the Czech printmaker, art begins and ends with drawing. His favored form of printmaking is the drypoint, where he can wield a needle on a metal plate like a pencil on a sketchpad, adding depth to the lines with color washes. His images appear sketchy and improvised, as if passionately made in a moment. Meaning piles upon meaning in these richly symbolic scenes. A sampling of Dajc's stylishly strange prints can be found on his new profile page in the Sacred Artists section. (John Kohan)