Burnishings

Leftovers III Exchange @WingtipPress

2011-12-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

Time for this year's edition of Leftovers at Wingtip Press in Boise, ID.

LEFTOVERS III

Prints: 14 (you'll get 12 in return, we keep one for exhibitions and one to raise funds for those who need our leftovers)
Size: Up to 5" x 7" - can be smaller, but NO larger please!
Cost: $12.00
Due Date: March 15, 2012
Ship to: Wingtip Press 6940 Butte Court Boise, ID 83704 USA

Contact Wingtip Press if you want to participate.

Little Print Book Project Flies Home

2011-11-14T07:13:00.001-08:00

Last year, my printmaker buddy Sherrie York sent to me a little book in the mail: Jill Bergman's Little Print Book Project. Well, I was right in the throes of new mommy-hood, and was completely hopeless with pretty much anything at that point. I eventually managed to coordinate with other printmakers around here (Cowichan Valley, Victoria, and Richmond, BC, and Bellevue, WA) to contribute, then finally I managed to send the book off to AnniePod in Philadelphia, PA, who also sent it to Tuckamore Design in Buffalo, NY. You can see the final book at Jill's blog Art on the Page.

Thanks to everyone who contributed; it was a treat to see all your pieces, and what a fun way to connect with other printmakers. Thanks, Sherrie for thinking to include me, and thanks Jill for getting the ball rolling in the first place! I hope your other books come back full of lovely prints and more contacts.
.
PS - Jill is still looking for contributors - if you're interested, visit her blog for contact info.

Kitchen Lithography - Viral Printmaking

2011-09-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've seen this now through Printsy, Facebook, Twitter, Printeresting, and a few other sources, so I just had to share.

Lithographie maison — Kitchen Lithographie — Lithography

Uploaded by emilivideo on 8 September 2011

How exciting! Now, I just have to be able to find time & energy to get back into the studio!

OK, so that leads to Mommy Update: we're all doing well, thank you. Kate is now 15 months (yikes!) and not quite walking everywhere but just about, with lots of proto-words and a lot of smiles & giggles.

International Print Day

2011-05-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Press by Team Nerd, on Flickr

Get out your squeegees and spitstickers, resin boxes and liquid tusche, presses and barens, ladies and gentlemen it's International Print Day!! Whatever your printmaking passion, press on, boys and girls, and get some ink on paper today! Share what you've done - make a comment (although be patient; I've had to moderate comments because of all the spam) and send a link to your work from today. Share it with MPC Fine Art Club's printmakers on the Print Day in May blog (they're the group who got the brayer rolling back in 2007), and mark the first Saturday in May in your calendars for next year so that we can be a little more coordinated about it!

Cowichan Valley Fine Arts Show 2011

2011-04-05T20:39:00.001-07:00

Fairest Of Them All

acrylic on canvas

I've put the above piece in this year's CVAC Fine Arts Show.

All are invited to Cowichan Valley Arts Council's 41st annual arts show. It is the largest non-juried art show in the Cowichan Valley, featuring recent artworks by artists living and working in the Cowichan Valley.

Gala Opening! Wednesday, April 6 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Everyone welcome. Meet the artists and share in the fun.

Thursday, April 7 Open 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 8 Open 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 9 Open 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 10 Open 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Quw'utsun' Conference & Cultural Centre, 200 Cowichan Way in Duncan.

Admission is $5 for adults and free admission for children.

Your support of the arts and artists is greatly appreciated.

Each day different CVAC members, artists and representatives of arts groups will host the show, giving demonstrations and talking about the art work.

Daily Program
Thursday, April 7, 10 am – 12 noon : Handbuilding in clay, Jane Wolters
1 - 4 pm : Rug hooking, Colleen Wike

Friday, April 8, 1- 4pm : Artists Trading Cards with Beverlee McLeod

Saturday, April 9, 1 – 4 pm : Silk painting, Clare Carver
10 - 12 and 1 - 3 pm : Face Painting

Sunday, April 10, 1 – 4 pm - Weaving of all sorts by Alison Irwin
11 - 3pm : Face Painting

Printmaking Treasuries

2011-03-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more:

Enjoy!

Digital Work - Bullrider

2011-03-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

While I've not been in the printmaking studio (other than to plant up our seedlings for the summer...), I've done a little bit more preparation for some printmaking in the future.

We used to attend the Williams Lake Stampede, but haven't been for a few years. I took lots of photos at the last two with the intention of turning them into something artistic at some point. I had done a few mixed media images from some of the photos: semi-blind contour sketches followed by watercolour monotype and coloured pencil crayons (if I manage to dig up one of those pieces, I'll take a photo and post at some point), but nothing much since. I hadn't decided how else to use the images, then the other day I thought maybe I'd try playing around with GIMP and my Wacom graphics tablet like I did with Murri, and see what came out of it.

So I started with a photo that I'd scanned a while ago, and cropped a little:

I tweaked the image so that it was then just greyscale:

Using a new layer and the Ink tool in GIMP, this is the first sketch:

While I was pretty happy with it, Dave & my cousin, Len, commented that they couldn't figure out where the bull ended and the rider started. I've highlighted the problem area here:

It seemed to them that the chaps of the rider were actually the back of the bull, and thus the leg disappeared and didn't "read" properly: it seemed like the rider was positioned side-saddle. We chatted about what I could do to improve the image, and we decided that as long as there was some kind of distinction between the back of the bull and the chaps of the rider, that it should probably work. Here is the second attempt:

While the leg still disappears to a certain extent, I'm thinking this will probably be it. I do like the composition better, and with a black & white simplification, you definitely can lose detail, but that's something that appeals to me, personally. Any comments or suggestions?

There will likely be more of these as I can take the time to do them; there's already another under way.

Mad Scientists of Etsy

2011-03-12T22:18:00.001-08:00

I recently joined the Mad Scientists of Etsy team; a group of Etsy sellers who are both crafty and geeky/nerdy, just my kind of crowd! Check out their blog, Facebook page, and Etsy Team page. I just cobbled together a treasury featuring some of their members' work:

They are a wide and varied bunch, from jewelery to cosmetics, toys to accessories, paper to fabric, so much to see!

"2011: The Pre-Occupied Horsemen"

2011-02-13T18:10:00.001-08:00

This graffiti mural is by Chris de Souza Jensen, one of my patrons, who lives in Malta:

Hello, my name is Amie R...

2011-02-07T21:58:00.001-08:00

... and I'm addicted to Etsy Treasuries and Tumblr. Oh dear.

Check out my Treasuries on Etsy, and my new Tumblr blog, where I post mostly interesting finds from Etsy (not surprisingly, many printmakers and specifically Printsy members).

Here's my most recent Treasury:

Sigh. Like I don't have better things to do with my time. Like sleep (read: I have a 7 1/2 month old daughter that has decided she doesn't like to stay asleep when we finally get her there... so why am I wasting time on the internet when she is asleep? Dunno. Must be insane).

101 Prints - Malaspina Printmakers

2011-02-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

I have donated one of the "Exposed" edition to Malaspina Printmakers' 101 Prints fundraiser:

Get your tickets now! $300 guarantees you a fabulous print worth at least $300, and all proceeds go towards Malaspina Printmakers. Find out more information on Malaspina's site.

Leftovers Print Exchange

2011-01-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

Do you have lots of bits and pieces of paper kicking around from various editions? How about old blocks or plates that would combine in an interesting new way? Or do you have leftover prints lying around that you could funk up a bit? Well, then, step right up for the second annual Leftovers Print Exchange! Delivery deadline is March 15, 2011. Join the over 124 (!) participants from around the world and get your special printers' dozen in the mail.

Details
Prints: 14 (twelve for the exchange, one for the exhibition, one for donation to raise funds for a local charity)
Process: That's up to you! (No inkjet though, please)
Size: Up to 5" x 7" - can be smaller, but NO larger please!
Cost: $12.00
Due Date: March 15, 2011

Please advise by return email [amyen at mac dot com] if you wish to participate.

And please invite other printmakers to join us!

Printmaking around the Web

2011-01-24T21:02:00.001-08:00

Thought I'd share some neat printmaking stuff that I've run across recently on the internet:

One of my all-time favourite internet printmaking buddies, Sherrie York, has a wonderful little film about her work:

PPLD Off the Wall: February 2011 from PPLD TV on Vimeo.

Congrats, Sherrie, it's a great film, you do a wonderful job of explaining your work, and I love the pieces chosen.

Another favourite printmaker that I've met online is Annie Bissett, and she's just announced that one of her pieces has been accepted into the 1st International Moku Hanga Conference in Japan in June. Congrats, Annie! Your work is brilliant, and deserves the international attention that it gets.

Finally, a funky little print project from a couple of years ago titled "Just in Time" by Xavier Antin. My husband found this on his blog reading, and I thought I'd share with my printmaking buddies. Enjoy!

That's it from me; still not been in the studio, still hoping to get there sometime soon... eventually!

The Artist's Way - a hiatus

2011-01-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a good idea, but bad timing. Yes, I'm sure that those of you who've been through this workshop would argue that any timing is potentially bad, and that I should stick with it. I just don't have the psychological strength or physical fortitude left after looking after our little girl. I'm pretty sure that I'll have more time and energy eventually (hopefully soon) to pick this up again. I made it through weeks three and four (four was interesting: no reading! I managed to not read almost, and I tried to avoid TV and computer as well, mostly), but then burnt out. I did discover on the couple of days I was able to manage the morning pages first thing in the morning that it really does make a difference what time of day they get written; it was much more productive first thing in the morning.

Anyway, I'm hoping to get some more art done sometime soonish. I did a quick sketch outdoors the other day with Kate strapped to my front; if I get to the scanner any time soon, I shall include it in the blog. For now, though, I think that any spare time and energy is going to be devoted to sleep, and just coping with being mom :)

Hope everyone is having a creative and fulfilling new year thus far! I sure miss being a part of the online printmaking community right now, I look forward to catching up with you all again sometime soon.

The Artist's Way - Week Two - Recovering a Sense of Identity

2010-12-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

This week was a bit of a write off for this project (but not entirely). We travelled over to the Mainland, and while looking after Kate is a full time job at the best of times, it just about triples when we have to travel. I was able to make time for the morning pages at some point during the day (sometimes not until just before bed late at night), but missed a couple of days altogether. I don't know how the pages are "working", but it is good for me to follow a routine, although I'm not sure it'll be a routine I'll want to continue. But we'll see after twelve weeks of doing them! Another artist acquaintance admitted that she also had a bit of difficulty working the three written pages, so she turned her morning pages into three drawing pages, which I thought was a great idea. But I do understand the value of spewing out your thoughts in longhand. Maybe a combination ... we'll see.

I found that the first week I had ideas pouring out of me, but this week not so much. I am surprised to find that I'm not really writing anything about historical influences (positive and negative) in the morning pages yet, but I suppose that might change, although I have been examining that with some of the exercises. I thought I'd be venting a lot more, but I don't find that I need to most days. That doesn't mean that I don't vent at all though!

I had picked a couple of things from a list of twenty that I enjoy doing, and I didn't really get around to doing either during the official week. Was this self-sabotage to pick two things that wouldn't travel well? Possibly. I did get to one of them (crocheting) finally when we got home yesterday, and I'd like to try the second (playing the mandolin) today, although I'm not sure if my injured thumb will put up with it for long, but I'll certainly try.

I managed to make it to my artist's date this week! I actually made two for myself: I got a manicure and I took time to go yarn shopping so that I could make a blanket for Kate's bed when it gets transformed into a double (she's got plenty of crib-sized quilts and blankies from friends and family).

So I'd mentioned last week about skepticism towards recognizing opportunities appearing just because you're opening yourself up to them. Well, let me tell you my story of opportunity and I'll let you decide for yourself. As I'd mentioned, Luanne Rice, an author in New York, contacted me about using one of my images to illustrate a blog post of hers. We began quite the email dialogue, and then exchanged examples of each others' work - she sent me two books, and I sent her two prints. She was thrilled with my prints and took them to a framer in Chelsea, who commented positively about my work. She also discussed my work with a friend of hers who had designed her snowy owl logo. As a result, he contacted me and purchased a couple of prints. Then last week, Luanne contacted me again and purchased three of my prints (one of which was framed)!

Thank you to those who've participated with me in this process. It's wonderful to be able to share my efforts with you, and to have your feedback and support.

The Artist's Way - Week One - Recovering a Sense of Safety

2010-12-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

I've just started working through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, and thought I'd use my blog to post about my weekly check in. For those of you not familiar, it's basically a twelve-week workshop to nurture your inner artist-child, and to enable your creative energies. I've been whining about not being creative, being disappointed in my work, feeling far to literal in my art, blah blah blah, so my mum pulled out her copy of the book and suggested that I might like to try the workshop.

I have managed to do the morning pages and affirmations every day of the first week, although they've not happened at the time of day recommended; when I first wake up, it's because Kate wants her food, so I've got a lot to do before I can get to the exercises, and I am not waking up before I absolutely have to. Forget it; sleep is a highly precious and rare commodity in this household, I'm not going to sacrifice it for anything other than Kate right now.

I have found working through the exercises challenging. They are meant to dredge up stuff, and they certainly do. While I resent spending the time doing these exercises, I recognize that when I'm doing them, I'm doing something, rather than doing nothing, towards supporting my artistic creativity.

This week was about visiting and exploring historic influences which thwarted or encouraged our inner creative child. I found the exercise where I wrote out the creative affirmations really tough at the beginning; my inner critic was just screaming at me the whole time. As the week progressed, these became a lot easier, and my critic less noisy. As I examined each critical reply, I recognized that they're generalized, unspecific and not actually at all accurate, yet it's amazing what a strong impact they have on stopping me from creating.

From this week, I have recognized that I am allowed to have fun, and that all my efforts at creativity are valuable and to be rewarded with a positive attitude. Even if I only spend five minutes on something creative, it's a very valuable five minutes. And just because I'm not in the studio carving or printing, doesn't mean that I'm not being creative. I'm a very creative person on many levels. For example, I'm working on a computer project that I'm very excited about. While it's not printmaking directly, it's very creative and I'm loving every minute. I really enjoy learning, and it's great working through a program to figure things out.

The second week's chapter (which I've already started) examines skepticism. As in "yeah, sure, there's some 'magical' thing out there that will make stuff happen if I believe in all this clap-trap". Well, guess what? It works! More next week...

Homage to a New Fan

2010-11-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

Luanne Rice, an author based in New York, discovered my work the other day while searching the internet for an image to illustrate her post which she wished to title "Bare Branches". Rather serendipitously, she discovered my block print "Bare Branches" and asked to use it in her blog. Please check out today's post on Ms Rice's page. Thanks, Luanne! Glad to share my work with an appreciative audience.

Maternity Leave

2010-10-05T20:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have been silent a long time. Two days after my last post, I gave birth to a beautiful little baby girl. So Dave's father's day was merely a couple of days delayed!

So I spent the better part of nine months not printing because the ink smell just turned me right off, and now I've been off any art whatsoever because I've been looking after our new edition (get it? yeah, lame!).

To keep you at least slightly entertained, please enjoy this "How Ink Is Made", produced by a Canadian company which creates ink for commercial printing applications. It's a wonderful presentation.

Keep well, all, and I'll get back to it as soon as I can!! I have so many ideas that I'd like to work on, I just need some time and energy... might be a while :)

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we're still waiting for Dave's father's day to be official, but pretty soon it'll be applicable... In the meantime, I did up this silly little digital illustration based on a conversation Dave & I had about carpet pythons - Dave naturally came up with a great play on words (he's very good at that), and this is the result.

As you can see from the long delay in posting, I've not been very creative artistically lately, and that hiatus shall continue for a considerable amount of time, I'm afraid, as I get thrown into the deep end of being a mom. However, I am super keen to get started on the print mosaic project when I'm able to sit and carve again (both physically feel like it and have the time and energy... that will definitely not be any time soon, though!). Hopefully, I'll feel like doing some more sketches in the interim, because I do still have lots of ideas. Anyway, we'll take it as it comes; my creativity will be directed at something a little different for a while, instead :)

And again... Top 50 Bloglist

2010-05-03T08:59:00.001-07:00

OK, I don't know what the heck is going on here, but burnishings is on another "top 50" blog list: "50 Incredibly Inspiring Printmaking Blogs". And this list is more a collection of printmakers and printmaking resources rather than print design-related sites. Along with burnishings are a number of other great blogs that I follow:

Debra James Percival's A Printmakers Blog About Art & Printmaking
Marissa Lee Swinghammer's M Lee Fine Art
Ellen Shipley's pressing-issues
Maria Arango's 1000 Woodcuts
Michelle Turbide's Vermont Printmaker
Diane Cutter's The Itinerant Artist
Annie Bissett's Woodblock Dreams
Viza Arlington's VIZArt
Belinda del Pesco's Fine Art Blog
Justin Miller's Bound Staff Press

and, wonderfully, Printsy's Blog, too!

Burnishings Featured on a "Top 50" Bloglist

2010-04-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Wow! I was just advised that Burnishings has been featured on guidetoartschools.com in their Tips & Tools section of their website under their "50 Must-See Print Design Blogs". My goodness, I'm blushing.

Thanks for the nod!

Printmaking How To - Monotype

2010-04-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

This month, Horsley Printmakers' Carol Nunan of Carol's Original Prints has requested that printmakers post a "how to" on their blog about monotypes in May. So I thought I'd take her up on her suggestion (a little early, whatever!). If you're a printmaker and want to do the same, make sure to link back to Carol's blog and send her a comment on her post so that she knows to add your link to her list.

Here's a clip from my website talking about monotypes:

These terms [monotype and monoprint] are often used interchangably; however, I like to think of them as completely different techniques. Both printmaking techniques result in a "one-off" image; you can never repeat that image. Some people have difficulty understanding how this can be a print if only one is produced, but it is the method of production that makes it a print. Probably the best description of the differentiation between these two techniques can be found in Monotype - Mediums and Methods for Painterly Printmaking by Julia Ayres:

"...the term monotype is used for work developed on top of an unaltered plate, utilizing its flat surface, while monoprint refers to monotype work that also includes elements of another printmaking process such as etching, woodcut, lithography, silk screen, and so on."
(Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991, page 8)

I use either watercolour or acrylic paints to produce monotypes. I paint onto frosted Mylar, and while the paint is still wet, I make the transfer by laying a registered sheet of paper over the Mylar and pressing gently by hand on the back of that paper. I repeat the process until I've completed the image. There is another method whereby you prepare the surface of the plate so that you can paint the image in its entirety, leave the paint to dry, then use a moistened sheet of paper to lift the image. I find this method more restrictive, but many artists prefer it because there is an added level of control to how the printed image will turn out.

Embrace, acrylic monotype

OK, so that's a basic outline of how I do it. The above print Embrace was created by painting acrylic onto frosted Mylar and transferring to the registered paper while the acrylic was still wet (i.e. really fast!).

I have my original sketch taped down to a surface, then I tape the Mylar (frosted-side up to paint on) on top of the sketch. I hinge the paper I'd like to print on usually along the longest side. This print was printed on a really heavy hot-pressed watercolour paper (I think Fabriano), and I quite like that surface & weight for doing the acrylic monotypes. I started with the lightest colours first (e.g. light yellow, light green), and work quickly, painting the acrylic on the Mylar then transfer the paint to the paper by flipping the hinged paper down on top of the Mylar and burnishing the back of the paper with my hand. I keep doing that repeatedly until I've got the final image I'd like. This sometimes requires that I let some layers dry a little first, but with acrylics, that doesn't take long at all.

Here are some other images that I've done that way:

Promise of Spring, acrylic monotype

Coming Storm, acrylic monotype

Bamfield Dory, acrylic monotype

As you can see, the results of monotypes can be extremely painterly. I remember my mother, upon being introduced to monotypes, thinking to herself "If I'm going to paint it, why on earth would I go to the trouble of the double work of painting then printing?!?" Then she tried it and discovered the textures that you can achieve only through the transference of paint from the plate to the paper support. You can't get those textures any other way: the surface tension breaking between the plate & paper makes for some wonderful textures that wouldn't occur right off your paint brush.

I do the same process with watercolours; however, I find the acrylics are easier to build bolder, brighter colours with. Here's a monoprint that started with a watercolour monotype to get the colours, then a block print on top for the black part:

Fraser Foreshore Morning, monoprint

This "working wet" technique, of course, is not the only way to make monotypes; it's just the way that I have discovered that I prefer. Here are a (very!) few other printmakers who use monotypes to create their work:

Bruce Waldman
Lori Dean-Dyment
Heather Aston

Thanks Carol, what a great idea. I look forward to seeing what other printmakers send you!

Print Mosaic Project - Work in Progress #6

2010-04-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

I've been out of town over the weekend; while I've not been idle sketch-wise, I've not had time to post up to the blog. So here are some further additions for the print mosaic project.

One more for the Algae collection:

Algae pattern #4

and some variations on the Tubeworms (although these look a lot more like shells):

Tubeworms pattern #2

Tubeworms pattern #3

Tubeworms pattern #5

This one being especially in the spirit of the Zentangle process:

Tubeworms pattern #4

Print Mosaic Project - Work in Progress #5

2010-03-30T21:55:00.001-07:00

So another thing that I'm really enjoying about this process is that I was feeling kind of stifled in my typical style: I was literally interpreting an image into a print. While there's nothing wrong with that, and I really do enjoy puzzling out how to get from start to finish of a reduction cut, I was craving a more abstract approach, but couldn't quite figure out how to get there.

I often manage to combine the best of both worlds: realism with abstraction. But I wanted to somehow introduce simplification into that abstraction.

This project is enabling me to be a little more creative: I'm starting with a very literal interpretation and breaking it down into a simplified pattern, and even getting to play with that original pattern to achieve various results in differing values. From there, it'll be broken down even further as it gets deconstructed and reconfigured in the collage process.

That, and I'm just having a heck of a lot of fun!

Here's today's contribution to the print mosaic project (6"x6" ink on paper sketch):

Tubeworm pattern #1

There'll be quite a few riffs on this one, I can already see it... stay tuned!!

Print Mosaic Project - Work in Progress #4

2010-03-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I'm finding really entertaining about this project so far is that the images that I've used as a start for the patterns I've created can be looked at in a lot of different ways. There are so many natural sources that those patterns could have come from. The "Aggregate Anemone" sketches could be based on stoma (under the leaves of plants), cactus, limpets, etc. The "Tortoise Shell" sketches also remind me of the Bungle Bungles, a huge geologic formation in Western Australia. These "Algae" sketches could be based on algae, lichen, coral, all sorts of wonderful natural patterns. So you decide what you see in the end result!

These are 6"x6" ink on paper sketches for the print mosaic project:

Algae pattern #1

Algae pattern #2

Algae pattern #3

Print Mosaic Project - Work in Progress #3

2010-03-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

More sketches (6"x6" ink on paper) for the print mosaic project:

Tortoise Shell pattern #3

Aggregate Anemone pattern #1

Aggregate Anemone pattern #2

Aggregate Anemone pattern #3

The (Potential) Pitfalls of Fame

2010-03-27T13:11:00.001-07:00

Thanks to another Printsy member, I was pointed to an image that was featured on a recent Etsy Finds post, which looked remarkably like my Hibou here:

Somewhat surprised, I contacted the seller and expressed my concern that the seller's image was significantly similar to mine, could be construed as copyright infringement, and requested that they remove their work from their shop (and any other online location). The seller responded very quickly and very positively, and has not only agreed to remove the work from their Etsy site but have done so very promptly, and has apologized for any problems that it might have caused.

The only negative aspect to this exchange is that their opinion is that their work was influenced by Jacques Hnizdovsky, and that the image was more similar to his work than mine.

I can understand being influenced. It's entirely possible that the connection between my work and Hnizdovsky's could have been made here (and boy am I ever flattered to be even mentioned on the same page as him!), since when you find either of our owl images on Google Images, chances are pretty high that you'll find them via that blog post.

Obviously, though, I'm not the only one who thought that the seller's image and mine were remarkably similar, otherwise no-0ne would have thought to tell me, and it would never have cropped up as a potential issue.

So, I post this because of a few points that I'd like to make:

1. Artists, please be very, very careful where you garner your source material from. There are some excellent, fully open use reference photos available in various places, but make sure that the image you're using as your starting point has had all rights removed and that you're free to use it as you please, especially in a commercial aspect.

2. Being on the internet with your work has a lot of great advantages: look at all the people who see it that would otherwise be ignorant, since the only place it might otherwise live is in your portfolio in your basement (like my work!). And apparently, I've got enough connections out there now that people actually recognize my work as mine (who'd have thought!), so that's quite an advantage to having it "out there". Related to people being able to find your work easily is being able to buy it - if they can't even see it, how are they going to know that they want your work hanging on their wall?

3. Being on the internet with your work has a lot of potential disadvantages: someone else either using your work directly and claiming it as their own, or making copies and selling the copies without your permission, or creating a work based very much on your work, are all examples of that.

4. As artists, we have a right to our original work, and no one else does, without our express permission. But we don't have a right to be jerks about it. It's always worth taking as polite and careful approach as possible. If I'd flown off the handle right away, I think that artist could very well have not responded so positively. While I don't want this to go any further, I do like sharing my artistic experiences with my interweb friends, especially those that might help others in their own art or life.

5. Some artists feel that watermarking their work is sufficient protection. I choose not to do so: the software used to create a watermark is just as easily confounded by other software by those who are determined to make use of your work. You decide for yourself.

So as always, thank you to the many readers of my blog, and visitors to my various sites, who support my efforts towards my art, and who share your experiences with me. I think the advantages of the internet that I've garnered have so far outweighed any disadvantages. I deeply value the connections I've made with other artists & printmakers all over the world, through my work and my sites, so thank you all for the opportunity to get to know you all a little bit better!

Print Mosaic Project - Work in Progress #2

2010-03-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

A couple more sketches (6"x6", ink on paper) for the print mosaic project:

Tortoise Shell pattern #1

Pussy Willow pattern

Tortoise Shell pattern #2

Personal Works & Inspirations

2010-03-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Personal Works & Inspirations, a blog about stuff found and enjoyed by the author, eunjoopaek (another printmaker! woo-hoo, printmakers unite!), who featured me! Gosh, shucks. I'm blushing.

So go check out their blog in return - there's some great stuff on there (I mean, other than me, of course).

Work in Progress - First Sketches

2010-03-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here are the first couple of sketches for the blocks that I'll use for my print mosaic project.

Bamboo pattern

Walnut Branches pattern

These are both ink on paper, 6"x6".

Zentangle #2

2010-03-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Here's the next one - this time using sepia ink.

Artistic Community

2010-03-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty isolated artistically for the last few months, save for whom I connect with over the internet (and a huge thank you to all my artistic friends and community members online - you're all so inspiring!). This week, I connected in real life with two fantastic artists.

Jill Elhert, whom we met through the Bamfield retreat last year (see Day 1, Day 2, and Days 3 & 4, plus our exhibition). Jill's work is very expressive and beautiful, very abstracted. She's currently working on some personal discovery projects, as well as looking forward to an intensive workshop this May with Steven Amoine. We had a lovely visit (with tea and fab home-made chocolate chip cookies, yum!!) and studio tour, thanks Jill.

Nikkie Wilson, a printmaker in Victoria, contacted me via email (through discovering my work on the Federation of Canadian Artist's website, as she's a recent member to the Victoria chapter thereof). She's very keen to connect with printmakers, especially locally. We happened to be down at her neck of the woods today, so she graciously invited us for a studio visit. It was very inspiring to see her colourful, vivacious work, lately woodcuts, utilizing great tool marks in her printmaking. It was wonderful to meet with such an enthusiastic printmaker, I look forward to continuing our creative dialogue in future, thanks Nikkie.

So, my isolation broken for the meantime, I'm feeling somewhat energized again, and reminded that I am part of a greater whole, which is always a good thing to be reminded of.

Featured on Tumblr

2010-03-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Not sure to whom I can direct my thanks, but my little wood engraving, Hibou, has been featured with a number of famous and wonderful wood engravings at Blessed Relief: A Collection of Wood Engravings. I am flattered at the company my little print is keeping.

Getting Invigorated

2010-03-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

I have been introduced, thanks to Jill Elhert of StoneyGround Studio, to the process of Zentangle. If you've not heard of it, it's a great doodling technique; quite meditative and a really good way to engage the right-hemisphere, and to just get some marks made on paper, without feeling committed to the final result (and hence without getting stuck on the starting point).

I've been in quite a creative slump for months. Mostly I've been stuck because while I enjoy doing realistic work, I wanted to somehow incorporate more abstraction to my realism.

Thanks to the Zentangle, I think I've figured out a way to do so.

It's been percolating in my mind actually for at least a year: I somehow wanted to print and collage and get something out as a result.

The plan (and please bear with me, because it's going to take an awful lot of work to get to the point where I have a finished product):

1. Create multiple, uniform sized blocks that are each carved with a unique pattern (based in nature to start, but also I'd like to use man-made and geometric patterns).
2. Print off those blocks, either a full sheet of one block prints repeated, or combining blocks to fill up a full sheet.
3. Cut the prints into shapes and collage in a somewhat random, spontaneous manner, onto a canvas support.

Now, I can either leave it at that, just as interesting monochromatic print collages, presented either individually or in an array or mosaic, like tiles. Or, I can continue:

4. Add acrylic washes and brush work, maybe some texture work, still keeping it abstract, using colour themes for example, or playing somewhat with colour theory.

5. Or when I'm composing the collage, be deliberate and follow a specific composition (realistic or not), using the darker prints for the darker values, and lighter prints for lighter values, etc. Then add colour to build a painting on top of the collage, using the values created by the print collage to dictate the values of the final piece.

As you can see, there's a lot of opportunity for play and spontaneity. I'm hoping this will help give me something to work on, yet not get frustrated that I'm not "finishing" anything very fast.

I find patterns, either in nature or man-made, extremely compelling. I love the rhythm produced by repetition, and I love trying to make shapes more graphic in my work. I am quite looking forward to working on this project. Stay tuned; I'll continue to post my Zentangles as I work on them, just so you can see some of the process of thoughts and creativity behind the project, since it's going to take quite a lot to get a finished piece!

Some Sketches

2010-02-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, have I ever been slack! Nope, practically no time spent in the studio for months. I do have a reason... more on that in a few months :) But I'm also shockingly lazy.

I did get a couple of semi-blind contour / colour sketches done a few weeks ago that I posted on Flickr but forgot to share here.

"Jars - Apple Slices"
(c) 2010 Amie Roman
Pen & ink with watercolour & pencil crayon

"Jars - Carrots"

The brush-tip felt pens were really fun to use; I'd never really used them other than just "colouring book" sort of colour blocking. This sketch was done treating them more like watercolours - blending the colours while still wet. It was a lot of fun. I will have to do more like that (one of these days!).

2009 Year In Review

2010-01-12T18:19:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd do another pat on the back year in review this January, rather than a "to do" list of resolutions. So to start with here's what I sold in 2009 - thanks to my lovely purchasers for their support!

SOLD!
1. Copy Cat, 2. Hibou, 3. California Quail,
4. Kermode Bear, 5. Orca Whale, 6. Stretchy (second state)7. Pulleys II (a), 8. Industrial Perch, 9. Lounging, 10. Soueee!

I have my art available for sale at two new (to me!) locations: The Upstart Crow in Delta, BC, and Studio Todorovic in Calgary, Alberta.

Here are all the prints that I completed in 2009:

PRINTED!
1. Oyama, 2. Sitting, 3. Lounging,
4. Goofy, 5. Flow VII, 6. Flow VI,
7. Flow V, 8. Flow IV, 9. Flow III,
10. Flow II, 11. Flow I, 12. Exposed,
13. Soueee!, 14. Vantage Point, 15. "Queen Of..."

I also did a lot of field sketches and Murri sketches, as well as purchased and started to learn how to use my new graphics tablet & GIMP program.

I taught a wonderful printmaking workshop in Williams Lake:

I attended a windy and cold "summer" outdoor art show and got to demo printmaking while I was there:

I was also invited to participate in a wonderful artists' retreat in Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island, check out what fun we had (day 1, day 2 and days 3 & 4) and some of the art I created.

I carved and printed the largest relief print I've yet done, donated one of the edition to a great cause, and was accepted into the Federation of Canadian Artists' 2009 Spilsbury Medal Show with another one of the edition.

I had many pieces accepted into various local exhibitions:

EXHIBITED!
1. Exposed, 2. Vantage Point, 3. Being Shod,
4. Soueee!, 5. Pays d'Hiver (Winter Country), 6. Kinsol

I participated in a couple of print exchanges:

EXCHANGED!

1. Oyama, 2. "Queen Of..."

I added heaps of links to my various Squidoo lenses on Printmaking, and spent a lot of time adding many fabulous interviews and "Who's Printsy" posts to our Printsy blog. If you're a printmaker on Etsy, check it out!

So, all in all, despite the fact that I didn't feel very productive this year, I actually accomplished more than I realized. And now on to more art in 2010 - wishing everyone a healthy, happy, creative & productive upcoming year; thanks for sharing my journey!

Congratulations!

2009-12-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

Beverley Peden is the winner! I assigned a number to each entry, and picked Bev's number through Random.Org's random integer generator. Congratulations, Bev, you shall receive your Goose Gallery, hopefully by Christmas.

Out of 34 votes (there were a few people who voted for two!), Bare Branches II was the winner, but only by one vote over Goose Gallery. Kinsol was next, Flow IV had a few votes, and no one faved Sitting (poor Murri!): I guess it is too abstract. Funny, it's actually my favourite!

Interestingly, most people who commented are printmakers, so thanks fellow printmakers for your support and kind words! This was a lot of fun, I shall have to do it again.

Free Art Giveaway!!

2009-11-30T19:26:00.000-08:00

Well, 'tis the season, after all, for generosity and thoughtfulness. Thanks to Jeanette's recent giveaway on her blog, which I just won (!), I have been inspired to give something back. I really appreciate all of the people who take time out of their day to read my blog and to visit my website and Etsy shop, and I'd like to demonstrate that appreciation in a concrete manner.

So, until December 15, 2009, please pick one of the following prints as a favourite, post a comment indicating your favourite and a link to your Etsy shop, website, blog, Twitter or Facebook page (or whatever!) so I can get a hold of you if you win, and I'll randomly select a winner from the list to receive their favourite. These are all original block prints, hand-pulled by myself.

Goose Gallery

Flow IV

Bare Branches II

Kinsol

Sitting

Thanks everyone, and good luck!

Jeanette Jobson - Illustrated Life

2009-11-30T19:15:00.001-08:00

Jeanette Jobson is a talented and prolific artist living on the exact opposite coast from me, in Newfoundland. Earlier in November, Jeanette posted a request for input on her blog, Illustrated Life. She was wanting to create some cards reproduced from her beautiful original artwork, and was interested in her readership's response. In return, Jeanette offered a gift package of some of her cards to one of the readers who responded.

What is somewhat ironic is that I've fallen way behind in my reading of other artists' blogs lately, and had only that day caught up on a bunch of them after months of neglect, one of which was Jeanette's blog. I decided to throw my two cents worth in, and posted my vote for my favourites. The result? Jeanette just informed me that my comment was the randomly chosen winner! I will receive three beautiful cards from her choices, plus a card from her recent "Merry Christmas Hares". I'm very excited, and honoured at Jeanette's generosity. Thanks, Jeanette - and as a token of my appreciation, there's a little thank you on its way to Newfoundland!

Briony Goddard - Metis Beadwork Magic

2009-11-23T20:48:00.001-08:00

Since I'm discussing crafty stuff lately, I thought I'd introduce you to my friend, Briony Goddard (aka "Mouse"), who creates the most exquisite beadwork using traditional and contemporary patterns drawn from historic Metis artifacts.

Check out Briony's video on her work:

And Briony's website is Mousetrap Clothiers. One of these days, I'll splurge and buy a vest or something from her (when she has the time! Not surprisingly, she's much in demand).

Creativity in Craft

2009-11-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

Remember my lovely little Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet? I'm still having fun with it (although less time spent on art lately than I'd like, sigh). Anyway, the little tablet has no protection when I travel back & forth with my computer, so I crocheted myself a Bamboo Pocket. See my post here for the details, but this is the end result:

WARNING: Christmas card spoiler - if you don't want to be surprised in your mail next month, read no further!!

Here's my latest creation - I don't have time this year to carve and hand print Christmas cards, so we're going with digital ones, based on a riff off this original digital sketch:

For those of you real digital artists out there, fear not, I realize this is quite amateur, but what the heck, I had fun. I would never call myself a digital artist (check out crackskullbob for an extremely talented selection of mostly digital illustrations); I just goof around with my tablet & GIMP. The real purpose ultimately is to create templates to carve for my relief printmaking, but sometimes it won't get that far. This is one of those times. Sorry for the cop-out this year, folks. Better luck next year.

Treasured! "Once Around The Block"

2009-11-12T14:21:00.001-08:00

Thanks to kellyjcallahan for featuring me and a heap of other Printsy members on their treasury:

Also featured are:

meganaker
crscheffe
studioAK
YonderPrints
starkeyart
drenculture
GinaD
wingedlion
BirdNerd
RioSalidaArt
hawaiialoha

Interview with Printmaker Amie Roman

2009-11-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

I was contacted by Larry Hewett, an art instructor at West Columbus High School in North Carolina, asking me for some information about printmaking with MDF, and then asking if I'd consider participating in an interview for his forum. Of course, I'm always happy to talk about printmaking, so here is the interview, which is posted on Art and Art Ed, a Ning social network set up by Larry for artists and art educators to communicate and share with each other.

Larry: Can you tell me something about your arts education in elementary and high school? What about college also?

Amie: My parents kept me entertained from a very early age by providing me with newsprint and crayons. I've kind of been hooked on art ever since. I enjoyed art throughout my schooling, although I wouldn't say I had great art instruction, especially not in high school. I didn't take art for my post-secondary degree; I have a B.Sc. (Hon.) in conservation biology. Most of what I learned was either self-taught, through my grandmother (Caro Woloshyn, an accomplished artist), and I took continuing education courses and workshops through the Federation of Canadian Artists, Emily Carr University of Art & Design, and a local printmaking studio, Dundarave Print Workshop, to expand my knowledge in specific areas, such as elements of design and composition, colour theory, and techniques (painting, printmaking, drawing, etc.)

Larry: Where do you get the inspiration for your prints? From photographs, from life experiences, etc.?

Amie: The inspiration for my work comes from my fascination of the world around us. My scientific background strongly influences my choices of subject matter. Nature and the artifacts of civilization are my subjects. The interaction and inter-relationship of our technological heritage with nature, the irony of the competition between nature and progress, and the sheer beauty and diversity of the natural world form the content of my current work. My imagery is realistic, but my focus is often abstracted through magnification or cropping to an almost unrecognizable result. I work almost entirely from photographs, because then I can get the detail that I wish to achieve, especially with mechanical subject matter.

Larry: Why do you do woodcuts? What about them is so intriguing? Do you do other forms of art as well?

Amie: Please allow me to clarify. I don't actually do woodcuts. None of my prints are the result of blocks carved from wood (the only exception to this was a single wood engraving I carved from boxwood). I do relief printing; most of the material I use as my substrate is man-made (e.g. Safetycut, linoleum and high-density fibreboard or HDF). I don't currently use wood because I don't really want to incorporate wood grain into my work; neither the challenge of carving with and against the grain, nor the texture provided by the wood grain itself. I might change my mind one day!

I enjoy the graphic qualities that I'm able to achieve using relief printmaking. The technique is also very easy for anyone to try: I emphasize the low-tech aspects whenever I'm teaching beginners. Of course, you can get as much equipment and tools that your heart desires; but you can also start with a simple lino cutting set, a wooden spoon, some paper and paint, if you want. Remember potato stamping as a kid? That's relief printmaking!

Other printmaking techniques that I've done include watercolour monotype, acrylic monotype, intaglio (etching), wood engraving and stone lithography. They all offer their individual appeals. Monotypes are extremely painterly, loose, spontaneous and colourful. Etching and wood engraving both provide opportunities for extremely fine line work and detail. Stone lithography is an extraordinary print medium: you can achieve almost any texture, line or mark-making quality with the materials and techniques available in lithography. Unfortunately, it's very material- and equipment-intensive, and the smells of the chemicals rather bother me. I take advantage, now and then, of a friend's litho studio, when I want to create a print that has a more immediate mark-making quality, especially if I want to get the feel of a charcoal drawing in the print.

I have also done watercolour and acrylic painting, and still create pen & watercolour sketches en plein air now and then. I also enjoy pyrography (wood burning), but haven't done much of that lately.

Larry: How many colors do most of your prints have? How many prints in your editions?

Amie: I keep my editions quite small. The largest editions I have are about 40, and that's only when I'm participating in a print exchange, where various printmakers each contribute an edition of prints equal to the number of participants. At the end of the exchange, you have a complete collection of prints from 20-40 other printmakers. Normally, my editions are between 8-12, because I don't have much use for a large edition (I have a hard enough time selling one, let alone 100!). Not only that, each print is very time consuming, and I lose interest after too many pulls of one run. I love figuring out the process of getting all the colours I want, but once I've done a few successful ones, I'm interested in moving onto the next image.

As for colours, I don't have a "standard" number of colours. Three or four colours is pretty common. I think the most colours I've ever done in a print was about eight.

Larry: What size do you normally work with?

Amie: I tend to work on a small scale (3"x4" is common), because I feel that the delicacy of my work mirrors the beautiful minutiae we are surrounded by. The inherent physical restrictions challenge my skills as an artist and as a printmaker. By working on small, detailed images, I encourage the viewer to stop and look more closely, as I do, whenever I see a rusty hinge, an insect, or a tidepool. I have also done some larger prints, especially with lithography and monotypes. Until recently, I didn't have a press, so it's very difficult to work very large without a press. Not impossible, but more challenging than I'm interested in. I also like to enter international miniature print competitions, and they have very specific size restrictions, so that provides another incentive to work small. I have started doing larger prints, however, now that I have a press (see below), and it's nice to have more flexibility in size. Even though the outer dimensions of the prints are getting larger, I still like to work in really tight details, so that hasn't changed, just the surface area covered by the details!

Larry: Do you prefer black and white or color?

Amie: I don't think that I have a preference. I decide whether I'm going to work in colour or not based on the image that I'm working on. Some images speak to me specifically as a black and white; others challenge me to discover the appropriate interpretation of their colours. I do enjoy working with the reduction technique to create a multiple colour image: I start with the first ink colour, print up a bunch of those, then carve away on the block what I wish to stay that colour. I then print up the next colour, carefully registering the block with the first colour on the paper. I then carve away anything on the block that I wish to stay that second colour, and ink up the third colour and print that. And so on, until I've finished all of the colours for the image. As I carve away the block, I can't go back and change something in a previous layer or colour. So I have to print extras at the beginning to allow for registration errors, and to allow for changes to the image as I work through the colours, if I wish. The reduction method, while very challenging, is very satisfying; it's like solving a puzzle. It's also a case of "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts"; if you were to do a multiple block print, colours sit beside each other on the paper, whereas with a reduction, colours layer on top of each other, interacting with each other, much like glazing in a painting, to create different effects and colours than if you tried to mix that colour directly on your palette and print it.

That said, working in a single colour is also very challenging. Providing appropriate textures to imply changes in value and lighting, and getting a perfectly inked single colour both take a lot of work and thought. An effective balance of ink vs paper is very satisfying, especially if the image is graphically strong.

Larry: Do you print with a press of some kind or do it by hand?

Amie: All of my earlier work was printed by hand, and anything that I do during a workshop or demo is still printed by hand. My husband purchased a Richeson baby press for me in the spring of 2008, and we came across an incredible deal on a Conrad Combo etching/litho press that summer. So I've been using a press only for the last year. Before that, and still, when I'm teaching, I used a wooden spoon to burnish the back of the paper, which transfers the image from the inked block to the paper. As I mentioned, I like to emphasize the low-tech aspect of relief printmaking. For the longest time, I used my kitchen table as my studio, carving & printing by hand there.

Larry: Is there one particular print that you feel is your favorite or best? Which one and why?

Amie: That is a really tough question. I guess the short answer is no, not a single one. I have a few favourites for different reasons.

"Pays d'Hiver" (Winter Country) is a beautiful representation of a single colour relief print: the balance of black and white (or rather, ink vs paper, as it's printed onto grey paper), the textures, and the subject matter, all just work really well.

"Ootpik #1 (Not a Night Owl)" is a ludicrous, whimsical piece, and I have no idea where it came from. I don't draw like this! I love it because it's so different.

"Northwestern" - while not my very first reduction cut, it's one of my earliest, and certainly one with a lot of colours (I forget, but at least 6). I feel this is overall a very effective piece, is very representative of my style with reduction, and is of one of my favourite subjects: crows!

Larry: What advice would you give to a student just starting in woodcuts or reduction printing?

Amie: Just try it. Invest a little bit of money in real printmaking ink, and real printmaking paper, because the results will be more effective than using just anything you can get your hands on. Do a little research; if you're trying it on your own, get some books out of the library, and search the internet, especially YouTube. If you're able to take a class, definitely do it - there is so much value you can glean technique-wise that will make your printmaking experience so much more satisfying, stuff that you probably wouldn't have figured out on your own. Ask questions - find a printmaker (online or near by, whatever) whose work you admire and speak with them about it; chances are really good that they'd be only to happy to share their experience, at least a little bit, with you. Join an online printmaking community, like the printmaking forum on WetCanvas!, so you can chat with other printmakers, get some feedback and help. But the bottom line: just try it, and have fun.

Larry: Who are some of your favorite printmakers and why?

Amie: Well, given that I didn't do any art history, and am sorely lacking in any knowledge of printmakers before my time, everyone that I can possibly recommend as my favourites are my contemporaries in time (I would not dare compare myself skill-wise; I've got a long way to go yet!).

Andy English and Jim Westergard are two world-renowned wood engraving artists. Both are remarkably skilled printmakers, both have incredible talent for detail; Andy for an almost Victorian, illustrative quality, and Jim for his quirky sense of humour that shines throughout all his work. Both work almost exclusively in black & white, and I strive to have my work reflect the balance of ink and paper that these two engravers do so skillfully.

Natalia Moroz is a printmaker and illustrator (as many contemporary printmakers seem to be). I love her style - very European, graphic, and effective. Her colour choices are very simiple and naturalistic. I have learned a lot about plotting my colours from Natalia's work.

Sherrie York is a printmaker and illustrator after my own heart: I strive to have her skill at representing the natural world. She spends an awful lot more time drawing than I do; if I ever did as much drawing as she does, then I might approach her skill eventually.

Finally, as a collective, the printmakers on Etsy who are part of Printsy are remarkable artists; I find many of them incredibly inspiring and talented. Check out the Printsy blog for the weekly "Who's Printsy" and "Printsy Interview" features and you'll see what I mean. None of these people were juried into this, yet almost every Printsy member shows very high quality skill and talent in their chosen medium. Maybe it's the nature of the printmaker beast?

Thanks for the opportunity, Larry!

Stamp Making Workshop

2009-10-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!! I'm teaching again!!!

Please join me on Sunday, November 22 at the Upstart Crow in Ladner, for a one day workshop on carving your own stamps*.

Do you love to incorporate stamping into your scrapbooking or mixed media work? Are you looking for a new creative way to make ATC's, greeting cards or gift tags? Join local printmaker Amie Roman (www.amieroman.ca) as she teaches you how to create your own stamps from scratch! Design, carve, and print your own stamps using simple tools and non-toxic,easy clean up materials. Participants will take home their own hand-carved stamps and the knowledge and skills to create more at home. Some supplies required and lots included info at the shop.

*I have tried to hold printmaking workshops repeatedly in different municipalities, and with a variety of art organizations, around the Lower Mainland, and they never got off the ground because of lack of interest. So I figured I'd be sneaky and try to enthuse crafters and artists alike with stamp carving. What the heck - it's the same thing! Printmaking just sounds more complicated and esoteric. Fingers crossed that I'll get a better response from this one.

Upstart Crow

2009-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

I am delighted to announce that I have a few pieces available for sale at the Upstart Crow, an eclectic and charming art and gift shop in Ladner, BC. If you find yourself in the area, please visit Megan & her crew at the Upstart Crow, open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm and on Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

This opportunity arose from the Delta Arts Council's Gallery in the Garden event this summer, and I'd mentioned it briefly in passing in my blog post about that event, but it really deserves its own announcement, so here you go!!

Williams Lake Workshop

2009-09-26T16:12:00.001-07:00

Well, ladies & gentlemen, as you can see from the delay between last post and this, I've not been particularly active art-wise. The summer months, especially end of August, are taken over with work in the garden, and, as a result, work in the kitchen to put away all those goodies for the rest of the year. You can check out what I've been up to in the garden & kitchen (and a little R&R on the side!) on my other blog, Roman Life.

That said, I just came back from a trip up to my Dad's in Horsefly, and at the beginning of that trip was a fantastic weekend, hosted by the Cariboo Arts Society, where I taught an introductory relief printmaking workshop.

We started the weekend with a discussion of materials and tools used. For this workshop, I had insisted that everyone use the soft carving materials, like Safety Kut or Speedy Cut, for their blocks, because I find that most people are able to carve those materials fairly easily, especially if they don't have great strength in their hands. I showed them different tools to carve with, and of course discussed safety and sharpening (not that I'm the best instructor for sharpening!).

I'd asked everyone to bring some source material, and to choose something to work on that would just be black and white. I demonstrated how I transfer an image from my sketchbook or a photo by tracing onto onion skin tracing paper, then flipping that paper and rubbing the image onto the soft carving block. That automatically reverses your image so that the printed version will come out in the same orientation as your original drawing. This technique works beautifully for the soft vinyl composite blocks, but I haven't had much success with transferring to linoleum that way. As a result of the reversal of the image, we discussed the fact that what you're carving needs to be mirror-image of what you want to end up with on your paper. That always causes a bit of consternation, but if you've got your tracing to work from, and if the tracing paper is thin enough, you can always flip over the tracing paper so that you're looking through the back side of it, giving you the same image that is sitting on your block.

Everyone worked away at carving their blocks for a while, then I demonstrated rolling up the ink on the palette, building up thin layers rather than gobbing it all down in one go. People got really good by the end of the second day recognizing the sound of too much ink, or the feel of not enough ink. We were working with Speedball, and that was a bit of a disaster. It seized up almost immediately. I'd fortunately purchased retarder, which worked quite well, but it still gummed up pretty quickly. At the end of the weekend, I'd asked whether they'd rather have me provide better quality inks for a materials charge, and they'd all agreed that would have been better. The only problem is, of course, as one student pointed out, that they wouldn't have known about the challenges of working with Speedball, and might not have understood the value of having better ink provided for a charge. The other problem is that most people have easier access to Speedball, whereas all other water-soluble inks are mail order only from the States, and that definitely gets a bit pricey, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to ask people to purchase their own inks first in that case. I didn't want people to use oil-based inks for this workshop, mostly because the smell makes me sick, and I didn't feel like having a huge sinus headache the whole weekend!

While everyone was working on their black & white images, and proofing, and printing, I went on to discuss some simple options for adding colour. You can print on papers that are different colours: everyone tried printing on black paper, using either straight white, or inks that had a bit more white mixed in. Some people had small enough images to try out the Mr. Ellie Pooh Paper samples in shades of lavender, golden orange and natural, that I'd brought. Then we discussed using different coloured inks, and I demonstrated a couple of options. Obviously, just a single colour of ink pre-mixed on your palette, then rolled up onto the block is the simplest, but I also showed how you can use the inks in a more painterly manner, by using multiple brayers and selectively adding colour to the image, like I had done for this print. We also discussed using the back of the block to do a solid colour first, then ink the carved image in another colour, and printing that on top (like this one). Finally, I demonstrated the "rainbow" or blend roll (as I had done in this recent print), and provided everyone with a copy as a sample for their records. Everyone tried their hand at different techniques, and came up with some lovely results.

At the end of the day, I discussed the reduction cut method to create a multiple-colour print carved from a single block. I explained the process, then asked them to think about an image they'd like to use, and to work out what the light, middle and dark value shapes were in that image. Then I asked that they do a tracing of each set of shapes, separately, so that they could consider how they might have to break down the image for carving the next day. I also suggested that they think about what colours they wanted to use, keeping in mind the values they'd need to achieve with those colours, and maybe write them down on the separate tracings.

We reconvened the next morning, and everyone had either brought value sketches or tracings of what they wanted to work on. I reviewed the process, and suggested that everyone start with carving away whatever they wanted to remain the colour of the paper. One of the students wished to start with a solid colour, so she inked up the back of her block and printed a series of those first. I made sure that everyone was aware that they should decide how many prints they wanted to end up with in their edition, then add at least another 3 or 4 to that for margin of error.

Before everyone started inking and proofing, I went over a few different registration methods, including the simplest one of positioning the block on the paper, then flipping everything over to burnish the back of the paper to transfer the print. I also showed them how to do T-bar registration and how to use two right angle corners to align first block then paper repeatedly. Everyone decided that simple was best, and chose the first option for their registration, and it worked very well for almost all of their prints, such that very few were spoiled due to mis-registration.

Some students stuck with just three colours: paper as the lightest value, a mid-value, and a dark value, but a couple were very brave and printed three or four colours. One even printed I think five!! Ideally, they should have allowed the inks to dry longer between prints, but the one student who printed the most layers was happy with the textures that were achieved by overprinting still-tacky ink. At the end of the day, everyone managed at least a two-colour reduction, and many went even further. Again, I worked on a demo piece which I sent home with them as a sample for reference to the reduction method.

I was absolutely blown away by the enthusiasm of the students, and their intense focus during the whole weekend, as well as their incredible productivity. Everyone went home with many prints, and with a better appreciation of the relief printmaking process. I am very pleased with the results, and am very grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such a talented crew. I hope they invite me back so that we can play with printmaking some more!!

Thank you, Cariboo Arts Society, for the opportunity to share some of my knowledge and experience.

Wet Canvas Exchange - Printmakers Gone Wild

2009-07-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've known about this exchange for months. For months, I've been busy at work, and hoping that I'll get some time (and energy) free for this. Then I got my dizzy spells back again last month and that put a stop to anything remotely creative. Finally, finally, I was able to sit down and consider some options. I started with one image, and while I liked the idea, the execution was far to abstract to be even remotely recognizable. I don't mind abstract, but I wanted it to be a bit more obvious. Next idea was lovely, started work on that, then realized I just did not have time for a four colour reduction in a minimum of 20 edition. So, now what?

Flipping through my photos, I came across one that I thought might work. And it did, rather nicely, I feel.

Oyama
Technique: relief print
MDF carved with Dremel
Media: Daniel Smith w/s relief ink
(carbazole violet, phthalo blue, burnt umber, carbon black, permanent red)
Dimensions: approximately 9"x6"
Edition: 28
Year: 2009

The problem with a blend or rainbow roll is that it works so much better when your roller/brayer is the same dimension as the print. Mine, even my beautiful new one from Takach, is not. So the colours were applied:

1. Darkest blue with a little brayer
2. Darkest blue to lighter blue with the Takach
3. Lighter blue to pinkish with another smaller brayer

Most of the edition are remarkably good; a few have a couple of solid horizontals that I'm not 100% pleased with. There's also a bit of a porous spot in the MDF which sometimes came through a little bit lighter than I'd prefer, but it actually didn't detract from the image, and added to the blend remarkably well, I thought.

Next time, I'll try sealing the MDF first with something like primer, to see how that goes. That's what people have been telling me, and everyone seems so astonished that I don't seal the MDF first. Generally, it's not been a problem, but once in a while...

Anyway, off to the post office to ship this off!! Hopefully it'll get there in good enough time to not be too horribly late!

Catching Up

2009-07-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's almost been two months of silence from this quarter. Mostly, that's been two months of no art, which is why nothing's been posted here. A couple of exceptions:

Oceans of Art

We attended the opening of this wonderful exhibition of the Bamfield artists' work in Nanaimo in June. Prior to the opening, a number of the artists & guests met for dinner at le Cafe Français for wonderful, simple French cuisine. We trooped across the street to the beautifully renovated Nanaimo Art Gallery, which used to be a bank, and admired the donations of the participating artists. As far as I know, five pieces sold from the show, the rest were shipped back to Bamfield and are still available for purchase through the Public Education Program.

Here's me at the opening, in front of "Exposed", one of my donations (also donated a couple from the "Flow" series"):

Gallery in the Garden

While not strictly an overwhelming success on the day itself (the weather turned from 30C the day before to about 12C in the powerful, probably almost gale-force winds the day of), I was happy to be invited to participate in the Delta Arts Council's Gallery in the Garden again this year. I sold a piece, and I was also invited to provide some works on consignment to the Upstart Crow, a delightfully eclectic gift shop in the village of Ladner. I might even be teaching some workshops through their facilities this fall; I'll keep you posted!

Katka, one of my printmaking buddies I've met through Wet Canvas! was kind enough to keep me company and brave the less than pleasant weather for a couple of hours. She provided me with a couple of photos of my setup and of me demonstrating printmaking to passers-by. You can read more about the day on her blog, The Blue Chisel.

Yes, I was freezing; unbelievably, I thought to bring a windbreaker, but didn't think about having anything warmer for my legs. I ended up, at the tail of the day, wrapping, sarong like, around my legs, one of the towels that I use to transport framed work. The wind didn't manage to take my tent, but I held on a couple of times just in case. It did take some other artists' tents and certainly blew down many displays, and damaged a few. Thank you, Dave, for your brilliant display stands (which he built for this event last year).

And what else, non-artful (or less artful) tasks, have I been doing in the interim, you might ask?

Well, as always, keeping Printsy (more or less) up to date with the (more or less) weekly "Who's Printsy" feature and the Printsy artist interviews. If you've not yet discovered the Printsy blog, definitely check it out - there are some incredibly talented printmaking artists selling their work through Etsy. If you're one of them, and are not yet a part of Prinsty, please convo me so that I can add your shop to the list.

And it's certainly that time of year again: the food production garden has been in full swing, and is just now starting somewhat to slack off a bit as the cooler weather crops come out and the hot weather crops are not yet ramped up to full production. I haven't posted any new canning recipes yet (although will, at some point, share all of my cherry preserve recipes that I tried this year), but you can always check out what recipes I've concocted or come across, as well as other stuff we're up to here, at my other blog, Roman Life.

Turn Your Photo into Art!

2009-06-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

I know, heard it all before, haven't you?

Not like this.

Nancy at Atelier Conti on Etsy, one of our Printsy members, has an offer to turn your photograph into a photogravure etching.

So what?

Well, what about some of those fabulous old family photos you've got stored away in your closet? Or one of your wedding photos? How about a pic you snapped on your recent vacation that just captured the moment perfectly? Turn it into a hand-pulled print, and you don't even have to do the printing!

Contact Atelier Conti for details. I'm going to rummage through my photos to see what I can come up with :)

PS - she's also got a B&B just east of Paris, France in Montmirail; check out Maison Conti. Ah, if only I had airfare...

Thanks Lori!

2009-06-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Lori Dean Dyment at So I Was Thinking... posted about the Open Print Show (still on until this Sunday) at the Federation Gallery, and had very lovely things to say about me. Thanks Lori!

Yes, I've been web-silent for quite some time. Mostly income work, also garden work, and no art work!!

Hope everyone's well... will be checking in again at the very least when I go to the Nanaimo Art Gallery later this month for the opening of the Oceans of Art Exhibition. Come on by to the opening, June 11 from 7 - 9 pm, if you're in Nanaimo and say hi!

Uncover the Cure

2009-05-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

There's still time to help me raise money towards fighting cancers below the belt! I'm walking in this year's Uncover the Cure, benefiting the BC Cancer Foundation, on July 11, 2009. I need to raise $300 to participate, and I'd appreciate if you could help out; even $5 gets me that much closer to the goal, and helps to support a great cause. I know, there are a lot of them out there to choose from, and I sure appreciate any help you can spare.

Please visit my participant's page to either donate online, or to download a donation form which you can then mail in with your payment.

Who knows, maybe there'll be a little print-tastic treat in the mail for you if you donate :)

Blog 10,000!

2009-05-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you, ladies & gentlemen, for the 10,000th visit this week, to this blog!

I'm just back from a weekend camping trip and have a pantload of non-art work to catch up with, but I am going to the opening of the Open Print Exhibition this Thursday, May 21, from 6-8 pm at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island - I shall post about that after; both Mom & I have work accepted, and this is Mom's ~~first~~ second (sorry!) juried show acceptance:

Stable Mates
reduction block print
Daniel Smith water soluble inks
© Betty A. Cavin

Pays d'Hiver
linocut print
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on grey Rising Stonehenge paper
© Amie Roman

Hope to see you at the opening!

More Murri

2009-05-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

He's just such a fun subject to work with.

So, continuing with the theme of turning digital sketches into block prints:

Lounging
MDF block print, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on grey Rising Stonehenge paper
© Amie Roman

Sitting
MDF block print, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on grey Rising Stonehenge paper
© Amie Roman

Go with the Flow

2009-05-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure that my Exposed print is of sufficient value to cover the "cost of entry" to the Oceans of Art exhibition at the Nanaimo Art Gallery, opening reception on Thursday June 11, 7-9 pm; however, I also thought that a few smaller pieces may be appreciated, as it can sometimes be difficult to sell large pieces.

I had done a sketch of a piece of kelp (Macrocystis) that I'd photographed on Brady's Beach that I've had sitting in the back of my mind since I did it, with the intention of a reduction cut.

I started off with a yellow ochre layer (didn't photo it), then later did a separate set of prints with a blend (rainbow) roll using yellow ochre, carbazole violet, and phthalo green:

Flow II
MDF block print, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on green kitakata paper
© Amie Roman

and then for some reason, printed the remaining ink on the block (not reinking the block) over the ochre layer and got this:

Flow I
MDF block print, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on green kitakata paper
© Amie Roman

After I finished enough prints for editions for those two, I decided to mess around a little and ended up with these two monoprints:

Flow VI
MDF block monoprint, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on white Rising Stonehenge paper
© Amie Roman

Flow VII
MDF block monoprint, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on white Rising Stonehenge paper
© Amie Roman

Then I got to the part that I'd really intended all along! I carved another layer for the reduction (only one; I wanted to keep it very simple). I printed over some of the Flow I prints (but kept some set aside for their own small edition):

Flow III
MDF block reduction print, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on green kitakata paper
© Amie Roman

And then, of course, had to print over some of Flow II, too (also setting aside some of them with only the first blend roll for their own small edition):

Flow IV
MDF block reduction print, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on green kitakata paper
© Amie Roman

This second, carved layer was also a blend roll, but subtle to see, except for in the edition I did on its own:

Flow VII
MDF block print, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on white Rising Stonehenge paper
© Amie Roman

There are so many things about this series that I'm absolutely tickled by:

The simplicity of the carving is exactly what I had wanted to achieve, and very effectively reflects the gorgeous lines and shapes of the Macrocystis frond that I'd sketched.
The success of the rainbow roll in capturing the oil-slick colours of a slightly decaying, washed up piece of kelp on the beach.
The subtleties in value contrasts between II and III which again, really captures the ever-changing colour shifts of a washed up piece of kelp on the beach.
I got to do a series!! And I played a lot, both with the colour and the printing.

Plus, my baby press is an utter jewel. Love it!

Oh, yeah, and I'd just invested in a set of Foredom ceramic rotary tips for my Dremel tool, and they are absolutely fabulous for carving the MDF in the way I want to.

As you can see, I had a very productive couple of days last week. I won't be donating each of these, but I'll pick a couple to frame up and add to the show.

Now I'm going to be away from the studio for at least another week or so, but hope to get back to it when I return, as I've got lots of ideas that I'd really like to work on.

Award of Merit

2009-05-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

Being Shod
reduction relief print - MDF carved with Dremel
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on Rising Stonehenge
© Amie Roman

I have been honoured with an award of merit from the Delta Arts Council's artSpacific exhibition for my piece, "Being Shod". My thanks to the jurors who chose my piece for this award, and my congratulations to the other artists whose work was also recognized at the event. It's the first time I've received a juried award, so I'm very thrilled (although one of my paintings was chosen in a wine label viewer's choice event, and that was also pretty exciting).

If you're able to get to see the show, it is at the Firehall Centre for the Arts (11489 84 Avenue, Delta), until May 29, open 10am to 4:30pm.

Make It Small

2009-05-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, the big picture is easy to capture and I sketch along happily. Other times, like last week, I can't seem to wrap my brain around perspective or proportions, and I have to make do with making it small. Dave & I spent a few hours of a hot sunny afternoon at the Cowichan Bay fishermen's warf, me sketching & photographing, Dave just looking around (which he enjoys doing and, bless him, he's got lots of patience for me when the inspiration to make art rarely rears its head).

Fishing Gear - pen sketch
© Amie Roman

Inspired by Dean Russell Thompson's recent exhibition of his "hidden landscapes" of machinery & industrial artifacts, I thought I'd focus in on some of the more interesting paraphernalia liberally strewn about the decks of the various fishing vessels.

Float - conté watermedia crayon on paper
© Amie Roman

I took heaps of photos, though, so I'm hoping to get at least a few prints eventually out of the trip. There were some great shapes & colours that would translate beautifully into block printing.

Birthdays

2009-05-09T09:26:00.001-07:00

I have actually been doing a little art, here and there (a little more this week, but we'll get to that in another post); I've just not had a lot of enthusiasm about posting. I spend most of my day on a computer for work, and I have two weekly posts over at Printsy, so by the time my "spare" computer time rolls around, generally I would rather play with GIMP, or catch up with the Reader (yeah, I know, I've not posted anything about that, either, but there have been some good ones, so hopefully I'll be able to pull together something for you on that next week). So, this blog suffers. Bad, Amie, bad.

Well, I had three birthdays (two within days of each other in April, one at the beginning of May) to come up with cards for; fortunately, two of the recipients aren't fussy and were happy with the same card. I took two of the images that I'd played with in GIMP, and turned one

Goofy Murri - digital drawing
© Amie Roman

into a very "quick & dirty" relief print:

Goofy - MDF block print, Dremel carved
Daniel Smith water soluble inks on card stock
© Amie Roman

and the other:

Sitting - digital drawing
© Amie Roman

into a watercolour:

Sun Spot - watercolour
© Amie Roman

All cards were enthusiastically received, and I'm safe for another year (oh, well, until Christmas...)

Website 10,000!

2009-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone! I just passed the 10,000 visitor mark this week for my website. Wow. I don't recall when I started keeping track, but I think it was pretty soon after I got the site up & running in its current form, which would have been around April 2007. Just think of how many more hits I'd get if I actually added work to the site regularly!

Not Gone...

2009-04-23T20:51:00.001-07:00

...but mostly working. If you want to see what we got up to over Easter, head over to Roman Life. It was a great trip, but we did a lot of driving through the most miserable, snotty weather I've ever driven through (really pounding rain, gale force winds, slamming hail... and a little sun).

Oh yeah, and I've been gardening. Yup, it's that time of year again (which means that later it'll be preserving! Yum, salsa...).

I think that I'm a one-track person. I can either work on the computer. Or I can garden. Or I can do art. I don't seem to be able to switch modes. I admire those who can.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm likely to be doing less art and more other stuff as the weather improves. But I'll keep you posted of any art stuff that happens - there are some shows etc. coming up this summer that I'll be participating in, which is pretty exciting.

Print Day!!

2009-04-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

Printmakers, unite! May 2 is international Print Day!! So grab your tools, inks & plates and slap some paper down to make prints.

Check it out at Printeresting.

Happy birthday Mom - we'll be spending it printing :)

Uncover the Cure

2009-04-09T18:12:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I have been participating in the local Vancouver "Uncover the Cure" event for each of the past three years it's been running. This is its fourth year, and I'm walking again for a fourth time!

Participants must raise $300 in order to actually take part. Proceeds from our efforts go towards funding research towards fighting cancers "below the belt" - ovarian, prostate, colon; all those "secret" ones we don't want to talk about, often ones that go unchecked and unattended because we're embarrassed to even discuss it with our physicians.

I feel very strongly about this cause. I have had relatives and friends directly impacted by these type of cancers, one of whom would have had a much better opportunity at survival, or at least longer life, if she'd not been in so much denial and had gone to see her doctor sooner. To be fair, she was of a completely different generation, and it was about 15 years ago, when, even then, these cancers weren't really discussed. I believe these cancers are overlooked and are not as popularly supported as others, yet they are much more widespread and common than we think.

I have had incredibly generous support from friends & family in the past three years; please consider supporting me in my efforts again this year. I have an online donation page here and if you're not so keen on paying on line, then you can download a charitable donation form here.

Katherine Tyrrell - Thanks Again!!

2009-04-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Once again, Katherine Tyrrell featured Burnishings on the April 5,2009 edition of "Who's Made A Mark This Week" on her Making a Mark blog, referring this time to my digital sketch entertainment.

Thanks, Katherine!!

Artist of the Month

2009-04-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

Four Oceans Press has selected me to be their Artist of the Month for April, 2009! I'm very honoured, thank you for that! The two works featured are (click on the links on the titles of the works to see their progress & development):

Xocoatl from the Food Alphabet Exchange, summer 2008

Queen of... from the Fruit Alphabet Exchange, winter 2008

Theme & Variation

2009-04-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

More graphic tablet entertainment! Here's the black & white version:

And a mosaic of colour versions (if you go to my Flickr account, you can see larger versions of each individual colour version, too. Vote for your favourite!):

Again, black & white:

Mosaic of colour:

Woo-hoo!! So much fun!! Gotta go back to work again tomorrow and have family visiting this week, so probably won't be playing again until later in the week or even next week. But I'm really getting such a charge out of this, and, apparently, am inspiring many of you to dust off your graphic tablets and give 'er a go - good on ya!

Addict

2009-04-03T10:36:00.003-07:00

I am having way too much fun with this digital art stuff. Here are some more:

And a little colour:

Murri makes such good subject matter! And these are all from mediocre photos, they're good enough to use as a template for digital sketching, though. These are going to make some great relief prints!

Does anyone have any favourites?

Graphics Tablet Coolness

2009-04-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

I splurged and invested in a Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet at the beginning of this year. I've been using it to play with GIMP, figuring out some of the bazillion things that can be done in that program. And is it ever fun. Allow me to demonstrate.

(BTW, please do not think that this is in any way, shape or form an exhaustive or excellent demonstration of the resources available with either of these tools, I'm just getting started and I've never used any kind of real image manipulation software before).

Start with this:

And then play a little bit with paths, feathering and gradient fills, add one ferry trip between Duke Point and Tsawassen, and Beginning GIMP, to get this:

While I think photo manipulation is fun, and I'm sure I'll do more at some point, I really wanted to be able to use these tools to draft ideas for printmaking, one way or another. I thought I'd try using a few of the tools I'd used in that exercise with this photo:

drew a path around Murri, copied & pasted into a new layer in another file (which I'd started with a black fill as background), then used the Ink tool to draw elements over top of the cut-out of Murri. I would hide the Murri cut-out layer intermittently to check my inking progress. It's quite a challenging tool, because it acts quite a lot like an old-fashioned cartridge or fountain pen in that if you're not careful, you'll blob ink everywhere! But the gorgeous variation in line thickness and shape, I just can't resist. I added a few gentle details using the regular Pen tool, too.

I went back to the first photo:

and did the same thing:

Then I thought I'd do a reverse of the colour scheme, black on white. So from this:

I got this:
Click on it for a larger view. I think it's my favourite so far.

One more:

Kind of similar to my earlier pen & ink Murri sketches on paper:

but much easier (especially as this photo Murri doesn't move around!)

What's on Amie's Reader

2009-03-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Been doing a lot of work on the computer this week, so haven't spent much time for fun on it. Also not a lot of art time going on. I really admire people who work all day and come home to sit down to do 3-4 hours (or even 20 minutes) of whatever art that they do. I am so drained from working that I just need to be a blob most evenings. I wonder what's missing from my constitution/personality that makes me underwhelmed?

Anyway, here are some good reads to share with you all... enjoy!

Art Stuff

I have recently tuned my radar to the artist book. I've never done one. I don't have any ideas to do one. But I'm intrigued, and might eventually venture forth. So Fiji Island Mermaid Press has given us all a little opportunity to try for ourselves: the "ME, An Autobiography" miniature book. Just one sheet turns into eight pages of book.

Sherrie York over at Brush & Baren finished her uber reduction print and celebrated by creating a little artist book using gelatin prints.

Cool, huh? Maybe these'll get me inspired. Maybe not...

Elizabeth Perry at Woolgathering is having some fun plotting linocuts in her moleskine journal (mwah ha ha, another printmaker in the making... we're taking over the world!!). But I love the handling of the piece of ginger on this day's post. Lovely.

Some creative mark making on the reader since my last post:

Justin Miller is having way too much fun with his coffee at Bound Staff Press (congrats on the fast sale! why not with such a great piece).

One of the Watermarks contributors made marks with on site found objects for their sketch session.

Marja-Leena Rathje shared the making of a wonderful animated video, mark making of an imaginary nature.

Jan Allsopp at ...In My Spare Time made a garden hose out of Norfolk Island pine needles. Maybe not mark making per se, but a challenging three-dimensional translation of the concept.

Another illustrator to follow... crackskullbob. If I could illustrate people this way... wow.

Amazingly talented natural history illustrator Debby Cotter Kaspari on Drawing the Motmot shares with us her toolkit for field sketching. Both compact and larger versions. Love the mint tin watercolour tray!

The Magpie Nest captures the onslaught of American Robins as they migrate through on their way to summer nesting grounds.\

Lots of printmaker activity, too!

JenZ picked up her etchings (very classical looking) from the recent etching class she took, and another beautiful landscape reduction woodblock print.

Linocutboy linked to a mind-boggling linoprint artist... you must visit their website for other images.

Further progress on Sonia Romero's work being translated into huge ceramic tiles for an L.A. subway station on She Rides The Lion. Here are some details of the progress of the ceramics.

Katka at The Blue Chisel has finished her print based on the Copenhagen mermaid.

Susan Moore at Art Every Day shares with us a plethora of monotypes from a recent weekend workshop with Bill Park. Very productive and inspiring!

Kate at Nydam Press combined two techniques, relief printing and cyanotype, in a beautiful and nostalgic result.

Marissa Buschow at Woodchips takes charge of a less than perfect print and turns it into something new; don't give up on those prints, maybe they can be reinvigorated!

Check out Annie Bissett's EZ scroll mount on Woodblock Dreams. Very clever, Annie, thanks for sharing!

Finally, have some fun with your art: dumpr.net has created museumr, which you can use to see what your art would look like hanging bold and beautiful at the MoMA, or the Gug! Thanks to Sarah Wimperis at Muddy Foot Prints

Science Stuff

Zoologix shares a marine mystery muncher of coral. Check it out (photo too, yikes!).

You could name a new species. Step up and put your bid in, auction open to March 30. Thanks to The Other 95%.

Plants have feelings? Well... not quite, but they can "react". Check it out on HowPlantsWork.

Sketching While the Sun Shines

2009-03-12T18:25:00.001-07:00

This is supposed to be the last beautiful day for a while, so I decided we'd do some sketching down at Cowichan Bay this afternoon. There are always sailboats, often fishing boats, and usually these two tug boats, which are used for moving and rafting log booms. I have been wanting to do something with them for years, so I finally plonked myself down, protected from the wind and warmed by the sun, on my little three-toed stool, and sketched away. Here's the pen sketch:

and here's with watercolours:

Mom came too, and did a couple of little landscape sketches:

More Sketching

2009-03-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

I'm working on actual paid work this week, so not much brain space or enthusiasm for figuring out a new print project. So I've been taking some time in the evenings to do a little sketching, instead. Murri is a great subject, and a lot easier when he's napping; unfortunately, he wasn't napping much, and a bit squirmy, which of course makes sketching more of a challenge. These sketches were from the last couple of evenings.

This afternoon, I was waiting for supper to come to a boil, and thought "what the heck!", so this is the result:

Sketching

2009-03-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

There are so many incredible, inspiring artists who produce work every day. Not me. I'm generally lazy and uninspiring. But I thought I'd share the few sketches I did today of my captive subject matter by the fireplace.

After his long, tiring session as model, Murri curled up in his blanket nest on the couch to recouperate.

What's on Amie's Reader

2009-03-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

Art Stuff

Tracey's branching out into the abstract and getting ready for her solo show at Place des Arts in Coquitlam over at A State of Art Portraits.

Heather gets a boost with a suggestion to work in series at Art and Life.

etsasketch is back to school shopping and looking for the perfect pencil case, while Marcy at There is Only Make is getting over her 8th-grade induced sewing-machine inhibitions and creating her first pencil case! Maybe you two should get together...

Spider Ink Studio's Elana has added another post to her Etching Techniques series. I have found it fascinating so far, and this post is no disappointment - yet another use for litho crayons that doesn't involve lithography!

Meanwhile, Katka has taken the leap and set up her Etsy shop - check out Blue Chisel Prints on Etsy.

Jeanette has an incredible series of mixed media works based on gyotaku (fish printing) a rainbow trout on her Illustrated Life. Scroll through to find her other entries starting with a capelin print last week (also featured on Watermarks).

Pica's added some beautiful sketches of a not especially beautiful bird, but how lovely her interpretations on The Magpie Nest. While having the face only a mother could love, I'm especially partial to these graceful scavengers, and have a version from my Bestiary.

Science Stuff

Dr A on The Phytophactor gives us an excellent reason to concern ourselves with global warming: chocolate (not just melting, but changing ecology altering habitat for the plant from which it comes).

Further on global warming on the EEB and Flow, another one of my favourite critters is even more at risk possibly than frogs: check out why salamanders might be global warming canaries in a coal mine.

And how clever is this! Enrichment for octopus! OK, just too darned cute (yes, another favourite critter - my Bestiary is well represented this week!!). Thanks to The Other 95% and Zoologix for the link, but definitely go to the whole series of photos at the New England Aquarium's site.

Another cephalopod feature from The Other 95% - what great footage of a hunting cuttlefish. The colours! And the stealthy behaviour.

The Echinoblog could have pulled this picture directly from the Whale Lab's touch pool at Bamfield to illustrate the fact that this species of urchin (largest on the west coast of North America) can live to a ripe old age of a century or more.

Finally, are you one of the 50% of the population that has the chemical receptor to detect the scent of asparagus pee? And take the time to read all about lichens and mosses on Watching the World Wake Up (go on, he went to a lot of effort and has some very nifty graphics, as per usual. Not only that, you might learn something; I certainly did!!).

Opening Photos

2009-03-08T20:55:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my art friends who braved the awful weather to visit our opening, and the couple of whom even supported our efforts with some purchases (woo-hoo!!).

And the printmaking demo setup:

Thanks again to the Valley Vines to Wines co-owner Pat for her patience & help in organizing our show. They offer such a wonderful opportunity for local art groups and starting artists.

Been sick... again

2009-03-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Finally recouperating from awful cold/flu. Again. Hung the Escape Artists group show yesterday afternoon (along with generally running around crazily) and had the opening today. Did a little printmaking demo which seemed well appreciated. Will post photos tomorrow - not coordinated enough to have camera and cable together with laptop... yes, one would think that each of these things would be portable enough to come together relatively easily, but am lazily catching up on my Google Reader (142 entries since my last post yikes! you guys have been busy!!).

What's on Amie's Reader

2009-02-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

I keep finding more wonderful artists and interesting blogs to follow. I'm going to have to watch out, otherwise all I'll have time for is reading my Reader.

Art Stuff

Pikaland introduced me to the creative & incredible wire sculptures of cwroelle on Flickr.

Sarah Wimperis' Muddy Foot Prints shows the construction of her clever and whimsical wool felt sculptures and the challenging art of the person print.

Thanks to michaelnobbs on Twitter, I've been introduced to many, many illustrators, too many to keep track of entirely. However, Elizabeth Perry over at woolgathering has just recently passed her 1,500 illustrations a day mark. I love the layouts of her illustrations in her notebook, her choice of what to illustrate and with what manner of tools. I'm a huge fan of this one, especially.

A community blog featuring art from water, Watermarks' Tina Mammoser struggles with the balance of spontaneity and planning in composition and execution.

I love printmaker/photographer Marja-Leena Rathje's blog, and totally forgot to include her definition of February post in a timely fashion (duh! and happy belated birthday Marja-Leena); I love February's Finnish name "pearl month". Marja-Leena usually has beautiful images of the textures and patterns of nature and the world around us. Join Marja-Leena for a second look...

I like both versions, but I think I prefer option #1 to option #2. Nice exchange print, Amy.

A couple of beautiful, fluid intaglios by Sarah Waite.

Gorgeously carved, richly inked, and beautifully balanced negative and positive linocut by Robyn Sinclair over at Have Dogs, Will Travel.

Edible printmaking via Printeresting. Really.

Science Stuff

Have a look at some rare South African starfish and learn that taxonomists often get it wrong over at The Echinoblog. (I love how he liberally sprinkles enthusiastic exclamation points everywhere!! He teaches natural history as public education outreach... I think it comes with the territory).

The Other 95% has a great video of the "pom pom" crab, so called because of the anemones glued to his pincers (ok, chelipeds to be specific). Aww! "I'm big & scary! I'm big & scary! Watch out for me!!"

And a fish with a see-through head (I'm not kidding - nature is inevitably stranger than fiction), magnetic crocodiles, and beetles with, er, shall we say, battle-ready organs of reproduction. Check 'em out on Zoologix (such a great fix of the nifty and not-so-normal critters in the world).

Thanks to Phytofactor, I've had a quick flip through the "top 100 botanical blogs" (although how they could possibly exclude Watching the World Wake Up and How Plants Work from the list is totally beyond me; obviously they've not been introduced to them), I'm now reading The Fruit Blog. Plus there are some lovely classical botanical illustrations there, how can I resist?

Speaking of WTWWU, find out about buds on deciduous trees and some cool lava-related geology. And, definitely, soap operas make a much better analogy of Darwinian evolution than the Aeneid (why that and not the Odyssey, the original one? Just wondering...).

Further Printing - "Exposed" Block Print

2009-02-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well, after some challenges yesterday, the challenges continued this morning. I received some excellent direction from fellow printmakers with much more experience than I on Wet Canvas. Taking some of those suggestions on, I did manage some better success this afternoon after switching to Faust AquaLine water-soluble inks, still on the kitakata paper. I don't know why. They are more transparent (as discussed with Becky Heimann on Inkteraction), which makes building up darks somewhat more of a challenge. But, the print seemed to go better, and although I did get some "push", it wasn't as bad as with the Daniel Smith inks seemed to get.

Some details:

Anyway, a printmaking friend of mine who's seen my press sent me extremely detailed instructions to set the roller height from scratch, so I shall print those off and give that a go. I've never used an etching press, so I desperately needed these!

Next I'll try a blue black on white paper. The paper will be heavier, so overall the result will be different.

Large Block Print - Printed!

2009-02-23T22:06:00.000-08:00

So after returning from Bamfield, Dave & I had a nasty, awful flu/cold for two whole weeks. The little time I was in the studio, I was definitely not up to carving that large block of MDF started in January. Then I got back to the studio recently, and worked steadily on the carving, to have it complete last night (yay!).

Murri investigating the carved block this morning

Close ups of the carving

This morning, Mom & I reorganized the studio (finally) so that it is laid out more usefully, and with better space.

So I took advantage of the better layout and inked up the block tonight. Mom helped me to pull some proofs; I'm having difficulty getting the pressure right on my etching press, mostly because I don't know what I'm doing. So this print was hand-burnished after going through the press, to make sure the transfer of the darks was uniform. This is a blend of carbon black and burnt umber Daniel Smith water-soluble relief ink, on natural kitakata paper.

(the above is a craptastic photo; it's supposed to be a natural buff paper with a dark brown ink)

We will be mucking around with the pressure again tomorrow morning.

Plus, I got to break in my new Takach brayer. I am in love!

Sketching on a Sunny Winter Day

2009-02-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

Last week I grabbed advantage of the beautiful weather, grabbed my sketchbook, and did some stuff. I started with a few (crappy!) watercolour washes, let them dry, then drew on top. The goal was to get the "feel" of what I was looking at, not so much be precise in representing it accurately.

This first one was done beside the little seasonal trickle of water that skirts our wetland; the melt is causing a lot of runoff, so the trickle was burbling along very merrily. Clockwise from upper left (interpreting my chicken-scratch) are the reflections off the moving water with reeds & grasses at the edges, then the movement of water across a rill, submerged pebbles where I just drew the dark areas kind of around the pebbles (not exactly negative space drawing, but it kind of worked out that way), then finally the reflection of a twig as the water moved the reflection.
Next is a stand of alders at the edge of our little pond, with conifers in the background. This is pretty much all about interpreting the negative spaces.
Once again, the weather was beautiful today, but it looks like it's changing, so I wanted to get out and get some more sketches done.

This first one is of the winter aconite (or Acontium) poking up through the leaf litter in a little patch of sunny garden out front. They, together with snowdrops, are probably the earliest little flowers to poke up out of the ground around here, and even then, they're quite late this year because of the heavy snow load we had around Christmas and New Years (there is still snow on our field). Anyway, I did a semi-blind contour drawing with sepia-coloured Pigma pen, then built up the painting. I was trying to keep the glow and delicacy of the flowers, and the loose and messy nature of the leaf litter.
Next up was the hazelnut outside our living room window. I parked my stool by the bird feeder and was scolded a few times for interrupting the dinner party, but they continued without a bother nonetheless. I loved the way the flowers of the hazelnut glow in the winter sun, especially against the deep darks of the conifers in the background. Plus, the shadows on the snow were just delicious; I had a lot of fun mixing the colours for them.
Finally (and I was getting kind of cold by now, so I didn't spend as much time on this one), the old Gravenstein apple tree, all gnarly, pock-marked and in need of a winter hair-cut (Dave's not been over in time yet to do so). Mostly, I had fun dropping wet colours into wet.
Now, I am definitely not comfortable with watercolours, and am not someone to follow when it comes to using this media, but I sure like to use them in the field for sketching, and adding colour.

Bruce Waldman

2009-02-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Elana Goren over at Spider Ink Studio, I have been introduced to another incredible printmaker (they're just everywhere! only academia would dare breathe that printmaking is dead! pbtht!). Bruce Waldman's monotypes (well, he calls them monoprints, but since they don't appear to involve a plate or block that's been etched, carved or altered in anyway, I would maintain they're monotypes) are apparently made with the edges of brayers.

For those non-printmaking folks out there, here's what a brayer looks like, via Wikipedia:

Bruce has very kindly provided me with a description of his process to share with you. It's fascinating:

I work on a large piece of Plexiglas and tape a white piece of paper to the back so that I can clearly see my image while I am working it up. I use only oil based printing inks; mostly etching, but sometimes combined with litho. I use the inks straight out of the container, and do not add oil or any kind of thining substances or solvents to thin the ink. I draw and apply the ink to the Plexiglas directly with small rubber rollers of varying widths, using the flat part of the roller for larger areas, and drawing with the edge of the roller for line work. It is hard to control drawing with the rollers, so it forces me to draw and paint on the Plexiglas in a spontaneous manner, not trying to tightly control my lines and marks while I am making them.

If I don't like parts of the image, I just wipe them away and redraw them. I work both dark on light, and also pull lights out of dark areas with a cloth or paper towel, and then press inked textures and materials on to the image. Sometimes they don't completely work when I print them, so I pin them up on the wall and work directly back into them with printing inks, rollers, pressed textures, and brushes. I only use one plate, and only run it through the press once.

This is a very direct and raw way to work. It is really for people who are not that interested in complex techniques, and who love to draw and paint directly and spontaneously. I usually create many bad prints before I get a few that I am really happy with. I love working this way because it allows me to attack the plate with a reckless abandon, which gives the images a feeling of wild motion. I developed these techniques over many years of experimentation as a reaction to creating hundreds of small, intricate, and technically complex ethcings; which I also tremendously enjoy making.

Thanks, Bruce, for the great summary of your process, and for generously letting me show a few of your prints. I have a very tiny selection here, so go check out more of Bruce's prints.

INKTERACTION

2009-02-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

Yet another web community for me to ~~waste~~ spend time on! For all you printmakers out there who haven't yet discovered it (although there are already 2414 members, and growing!), check out INKTERACTION the International Printmakers Network.

Set up your own profile page with links to your other sites, load your photos and videos of your work, join in on discussions on their forum, and post printmaking events (both private and public). And there's a blog feature, too, so if you've not yet got one going, it's free! Keep all your goodies in one place, if you like.

And while you're there, pop by & add me as your friend :)

(BTW - I just set up a Facebook Page for me as an artist; yeah, I know, hasn't the interwebby got enough of me yet?!?!)

EDIT - It has been brought to my attention recently that you require an invitation to participate in Inkteraction. If you're a printmaker and would like to be a part of Inkteraction, please contact me via my website and I'll be happy to send you an invitation via Inkteraction. Sorry for the confusion!!

What's on Amie's Reader

2009-02-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

Quick one this week.

Some printmakers reflect: Vermont Printmaker's Michelle Turbide on what really matters, and Boundstaffpress' Justin Miller on connections and regrets, inspirations for a new work.

There Is Only Make's Marcy shares with us her creative process.

New blogger (but definitely not new online) Brian Holden's My Printmaking Journey follows the development of a linocut study.

More gorgeous sketches by Derek Jones.

Always full of valuable art business information, Making a Mark's Katherine Tyrrell wants us to think about what we're saying about ourselves as artists, not just about our art.

Check out these flamingo-like katydids on Zooillogix, and learn more about global weirding on HowPlantsWork.

Not on the Reader but via Wet Canvas Printmaking Forum - Huff Post on the fair use argument for Shepard Fairey's work.

And via Clint Watson on Twitter, check out the firestorm (it's all over the place!) that Facebook stirred up this week with their changes to the Terms of Service (which they've now rescinded). As one of my FB friends quipped, "maybe they forgot how their network works" - did they not think this would meet with some resistance and stir up a lot of traffic? Maybe they did...

Figure Show - Federation of Canadian Artists

2009-02-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

March 2 - 15, 2009 at the Federation Gallery, 1241 Cartwright Street, Granville Island, Vancouver. My two submitted pieces were accepted:

Being Shod, by Amie Roman, AFCA

Technique: reduction cut relief print
Media: Daniel Smith w/s relief ink
(yellow ochre, burnt umber, phthalo blue, Mars black) on cream Rising Stonehenge
Dimensions: approximately 9"x7"
Edition: 6
Year: 2009

Vantage Point by Amie Roman, AFCA

Technique: relief print
Media: Daniel Smith w/s relief ink
(mix of Mars black and phthalo blue) on white Rising Stonehenge
Dimensions: approximately 6"x4"
Edition: 10
Year: 2009

Actually Working

2009-02-15T21:26:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, I have actually been working in the studio. I'm carving the block for the large block print for the Oceans of Art exhibition. It's taking a lot of carving though. I also did a little sketching today (shock!) but haven't scanned my sketches. I wanted to try to do the sketches as an interpretation of a feeling, rather than attempting a literal representation. It was kind of fun. I'll post them when I've finally digitized them.

And I've been a busy little social butterfly. I'm now on Twitter and Inkteraction, I created a group on Facebook for Printsy, still keeping Printsy's blog up to date, joined a few more Flickr groups.

And I've been spending much mental effort cogitating some ideas for different uses of printmaking. Nothing concrete yet. I think I need to get the big block carved first before I can get onto the next project. Anything else I want to do just involves carving anyway, and I like to get what I'm carving just done before starting on carving something else.

Oh yeah, and I just bought a Wacom Bamboo tablet and finally got it installed. I'll be playing with that I think tomorrow. Along with my Beginning GIMP book at my side, I'll start putting some of these ideas into illustrated form soon, I hope!

What's on Amie's Reader

2009-02-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

When I first started blogging, and learning about other people's blogs, I had no great way to keep track of what I wanted to read. I started my Squidoo lens on printmaking artists, with the intention of showcasing printmaking bloggers. Well, that sort of went off course a bit, and now there are all sorts of cool printmakers on there. I have kind of run low on steam for keeping that one up to date, because I keep discovering more and more amazing printmaking artists with websites. I will still keep working on it, but I have other projects that seem to be taking precedence lately.

As I was working on the lens, I was trying to add Etsy shops to those artists who are printmakers with Etsy stores. Then Prinsy was forged first as a Flickr group, then as a full-fledged Etsy Team. Our blog got started, and I seemed to be luckily in on the ground floor with that one. I've been blogging two (mostly) regular posts: Printsy member interviews, should be self-explanitory, and "Who's Printsy This Week", a selection of ten items listed by our Printsy members who have used the tag "Printsy" on the item listed. So I've been busy trying to bring people to the Printsy fold, and then trying to get them to give us a little information about themselves on the blog interviews, which have so far showcased some absolutely incredible art by a range of skilled, creative, and talented printmakers. Keep an eye on the Printsy blog for more great stuff.

So back to trying to keep track of those printmaking artists who blog. I like reading people's thoughts on their process and development of their images, on their marketing efforts, on their inspirations, and often on their daily lives. Cue stage right: Google Reader. If you are keen on keeping track of news feeds and blogs, Google Reader lets you do so all in one spot. For those of us with Blogger accounts, it's a no-brainer. For anyone who doesn't yet have a Google account, it's a pretty easy step to set one up. Yes, Google is taking over the world, and I am doing my fair share to see that it happens. Sigh. Well, if they stop having so many great applications to use (I'm also a Google Docs addict), maybe I wouldn't be so enabling .

Another Printsy member recently posted to her blog about her Google Reads, and I thought what a great idea! So I'll try to do a fairly regular feature about what's on my reader, to share some of the wonderful stuff that I already get to read about, but that you might be interested in, too. It's almost entirely art and natural-history dominated, which probably won't surprise anyone here, but I am open to other topics.

So, here's the first installment of What's on Amie's Reader. This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination. I might do some kind of theme, or just pick a few that pop out as particularly interesting.

Printmaking

My longest-read printmaking blog would have to be Annie Bissett's Woodblock Dreams. Follow Annie's development of her intricately detailed woodcuts and symbologically deep imagery in her moku hanga work. Her recently completed "Honey, I'm Worried About the Kids" links past with present, tradition with innovation, and the connecting thread of doing what's right for our children with the Pilgrim's migration to the New World.

I think my two favourite printmaking bloggers would have to be Sherrie York on Brush and Baren and Jen Z on Jen and the Greyhounds. Both artists share enthusiasm for their subject matter and frustrations with interruptions to creativity, which really strike a spark of recognition in this reader's heart, and their sense of humour at the world sure helps keep the posts entertaining.

Sherrie's luciously executed linocuts are exquisite to behold, and I'm delighted, always, to follow their progress. She's just started up a new work in progress based on her recent "underfoot" theme.

Jen's blog focuses a lot on her greyhound mates, and her lovely photography of these animals bounding about really captures their spirit. Jen's been taking advantage of her beautiful surroundings lately, taking the dogs off cross-country skiing through upstate New York.

Natural History

One of my favourite aspects of natural history is the "gee whiz" factor: there is just so much out there that escapes our attention almost 100% of the time, that I really appreciate having my attention focused on things that are, truly, remarkable. From behaviour to biochemistry, life and death of the organisms that surround us is source of incredible wonder, and these bloggers share that with us.

Probably the nature-related blog I've longest held on my Reader is A Snail's Eye View, thanks to Sherrie's Brush and Baren link list. Right now, Snail is in the middle of the record-breaking searing Australian weather that is making the bushfires raging across south eastern Australia's state of Victoria so incredibly deadly. I've enjoyed Snail's intimate portrayal of the critters that find their way to Snail's back yard, and the knowledge imparted about these organisms is interesting in a very approachable manner.

Snail then introduced me to The Other 95%. While some of his posts are quite technical, there's just some great stuff that blogger Kevin Zelnio shares with his readers. Check out his recent post on cepahlopod camoflauge behaviour. Kevin also recently hosted the latest Circus of the Spineless, a showcase of bloggers who have posts about invertebrates.

Finally, Watching the World Wake Up is an entertaining combination of mountain biking, hiking and botany through the deserts of the western US. Learn what the three types of photosynthesis are, how photosynthesis is like mountain bikes, and why Mormons are like singlespeeders.

Enjoy the reads, and feel free to share anything of interest that you bump across. You never know, maybe it'll end up on my Reader!

Tribute to Engraving

2009-02-06T19:30:00.001-08:00

Mila Radišić, a copper engraving printmaker from Croatia, composed this lovely article as her Tribute to Engraving.

Being a self-taught engraver and working alone on copper plates I used to think I had developed my own technique. Later, I found out that Jacopo de Barbari (1440?-1516?) worked in the same manner – copper engraving which, by its character, resembles drypoint.

Recently I find out that tradition of metal engraving is dying. This inspires me to write this article. Working alone was not easy. This article, I hope, will be inspiring to others who are struggling out there in order to find their own way of expression, their own way of life.

It takes a few years until I learn how to properly use tools, how to sharpen them, how to prepare copper plate, how to prepare paper...Most important lesson I learned was that character of engraved line depend on character of engraving burins, and engraver's own character. Only perfectly sharpened burins can produce line which characterize engraving, thin on the beginning and at the end. That line is perfect for drawing human face, human body, animals, clothes, different items, telling stories, making atmosphere giving hope...

I use to make engraving directly on the plate with pencil. Then I use to engrave main lines and start to cut my picture. Few years before I «discover» engraving I use to draw pictures with ink using small circles. This is one unfinished «circle» picture!

This way of drawing was very slow but it was some kind of training for demanding engraving. After few hundred of such drawings I start to use engraving. Finding it was some kind of revelation for me. At once I made few engravings. Here is one from that period, also unfinished so that you can see how it is connected to the «circle» drawing above.
As you can see further engraving is in fact a relief in copper. Working it is like carving in stone. While you do it you must have a deep respect and acceptance for noble metal copper.

First engravings I did not print since at that time I know very little about printing process and I just put them on the wall of my studio.

Engraver should be sure in his drawing and should have a sense of humour.

On these engravings you can see how I develop my manner in order to present my vision. It is vision actually which came out of me in this wonderful technique of copper-engraving.

Engraving means thinking straight, overcoming the superficial, external life we so easily fall into. I have a small web site and a great desire to learn more, to share more.

Thank you Mila for the insight into your work and your process. If anyone reading this is knowledgeable about copper engraving, please contact Mila as she is very keen to reach out to the printmaking community and to learn more about her chosen craft.

Design

2009-02-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

I ran across the Portland State University's Graphic Design program's blog via Pikaland (a blog about illustration and illustrators), and fell in love with this recent post on type experiments by the program's students. While I admire the creativity and flexibility of the students' works showcased, I am very impressed by the clever use of negative space in this one particularly. Who knew I had a typography fascination lurking darkly in the recesses of my mind?

Katherine Tyrrell - Thanks!!

2009-02-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

Once again, versatile artist, informative blogger and prodigious Squidoo lensmaster extraordinaire Katherine Tyrrell has connected to me on her blog Making a Mark.

Katherine's got an extensive list of resources for artists and art-lovers, from techniques in various media to business saavy analysis of working as an artist, Katherine covers just about any corner you might be interested in. Check out her Making a Mark Hub, and her Squidoo Lensmaster list.

Thanks, Katherine!

Oceans of Art - Days 3 & 4

2009-01-31T17:09:00.000-08:00

The weather was absolutely spectacular on the morning of our third day in Bamfield. I spent the first part of the morning working on more sketches in the Whale Lab:

Then our group headed out on one of the Marine Station's research vessels to do a little sight-seeing, and to do a bottom drag. We used a small basket that was pulled along the bottom for a short distance, then pulled up and washed the contents into a viewing tray. The Station uses the same, disturbed location for their drags, and it seems to be constantly re-colonizing, because there is amazing variety of critters each time they come out.

The weather turned decidedly less congenial: the wind picked up, the sun went into hiding, and we even got a few flakes of snow. The group braved the elements to have a wee wander along Pachena Bay, sketching and photographing, and a bonfire and schmooze with some local Bamfield artists.

There was time for a little more sketching before dinner:

Then off to an evening of entertainment! Many of the artists collected in the fireplace lounge and Mark Hobson brought out his guitar, and we all had a wonderful time singing and laughing, and sampling some beautiful blackberry wine. We also had a final lab where we all trouped over to the Rix Centre to look at plankton under the microscope. We all found that absolutely fascinating, and many stayed longer than we were meant to.

Our final night was just delightful, and we were all reluctant to depart on our final day. We woke up to a dusting of snow, and we trudged through the slush to breakfast, then back again to load up our gear for transfer to the docks. Some took the time waiting for the return of the MV Frances Barkley with art, some with networking, and some of us with just being lazy. We loaded up onto the ship when she arrived, and had a lovely, friendship-filled trip back to Port Alberni.

We all await with great anticipation the Oceans of Art exhibition to be held at the Nanaimo Art Gallery, 150 Commercial Street, from June 11 - 29, 2009, opening reception on Thursday, June 11 (time to be announced, but likely in the evening). Work will be for sale during that exhibition, and proceeds will go towards the Public Education Program at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.

Oceans of Art - Day 2

2009-01-29T20:30:00.000-08:00

After a hearty breakfast, we all piled into, in 12-body groups, two of the station's skiffs to make our way over to West Bamfield. Bamfield is split by Bamfield Inlet: some of the community is on the east bank, some on the west bank. On the other side of the peninsula on which West Bamfield sits lies the open Pacific Ocean. We trudged across the peninsula to arrive at Brady's Beach, a spectacular and well-known sandy beach with rocky sea stacks, perfect for landscape artists! And, at the right time of day, it is perfect for tide pool puddlers. Unfortunately, we arrived late on the incoming tide, so no fantastic tide pools to puddle in. But there were plenty of neat things to sketch and photograph that had washed up on the beach, not to mention the stacks themselves.

We spent the morning on the beach, walking, sketching, snapping shots, and just watching the surf roll in. The hike back was interesting: it's quite hilly crossing the peninsula, and the first hill from the beach is huge! Some of us took the scenic route, and walked the beautiful boardwalk along the shoreline of West Bamfield. Even met some of the residents:

In the afternoon, we split up into our respective groups, and went on different excursions. Our group took a boat up Grappler Inlet. The sun decided to bless us with its presence and made the lighting spectacular for our trip. The water was crystal clear, and we could see way down to the bottom, strewn with pink stars and huge clam shells. At the head of the Inlet was a freshwater lens that had frozen, so we did a little ice breaking (kind of entertaining). And we got to witness nature at work: a couple of raccoons picking up nibblies from the exposed foreshore, rafts of ducks, a cormorant drying off on a piling after a dive, and the ultimate wildlife experience of a bald eagle catching a juvenile gull, then taking it to a rock to pluck and devour while we watched.

A little time was left before dinner for a visit to the Whale Lab, and I took the opportunity to work on some sketches.

After dinner, we were treated to "Life at the Edge of the Sea", a documentary filmed on location in Bamfield and off the coast by the BBC. It's a great film, I've seen it before, but I was so tired from the day's events that I just had to crash. Off to bed to rest up for another jam-packed day.

Oceans of Art - Day 1

2009-01-28T18:50:00.001-08:00

I just returned from Bamfield where I attended the Oceans of Art event (a bit more about that shortly) with a number of other Federation of Canadian Artists members. It was a fantastic weekend of action-packed days where we experienced the marine environment of the far West Coast in all its glory.

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Our trip began at Port Alberni early in the morning when we met at the Lady Rose Marine Services docks to board the MV Frances Barkley. Just over 30 artists and some non-painting partners lugged bags and boxes of art equipment and camera gear on board, then got settled in for the 3 hour trip out to Bamfield.

We spent our time getting to know each other, reconnecting with friends, and putting faces to names that many of us recognized, whose art we'd seen in one show or another. We also met some of the locals, who rely on boats to get around. We stopped for freight and passenger delivery at Kildonan, a tiny community just at the mouth of Alberni Inlet, as it opens out into Barkley Sound. Eventually we made our way into Bamfield Inlet, and pulled up at the Marine Station's dock.

Our first trip of many up the hill from the docks to the station buildings took us to our rather luxurious dormitory accommodation at Buchanan Lodge. We had a group meeting and then a tour of the facilities: many labs, a library, the Whale Lab with tanks and touch pool full of amazing living organisms, the unique scallop-shaped architecture of the Rix Centre (with lecture and conference halls, as well as laboratory facilities, and a beautiful cold-water aquarium full of wonderful fish and invertebrates).

We wandered around, taking photos, sketching, and getting a feel for the facilities, then met again for dinner. The food at Bamfield is plentiful, great tasting, and well received.

To wrap up the day, we were treated to a painting demonstration by naturalist and coastal artist, Mark Hobson. He started with a slide show of his work, and where he works: his floating studio just outside of Tofino. Mark strives to capture the feel and experience of a diver underwater amongst the kelp forests and their inhabitants. He is a master of the play of light passing through kelp fronds, filtering down from the surface, reflecting off the backs and sides of his subjects as they swim through the image.

Tiger Rockfish - Mark Hobson

Now, more about Oceans of Art. In return for our fantastic weekend of wonder and inspiration, each artist will be donating at least one piece of art worth a minimum amount for an exhibition to be held from June 11 - 29, 2009 at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. The proceeds from the sale of the artwork go towards sponsoring the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre's Public Education Program:

Our National Award-Winning Public Education Program provides multi-day immersion field trips for school, college and adult learners. While our focus is on marine and coastal sciences, we encourage custom programs that make use of the incredible environments and people of Vancouver Island's West Coast. As part of our commitment to community we are involved in stewardship and conservation projects as well as facilitating innovative and extremely successful volunteer work experiences for young scientists.

from the BMSC Public Education Program

So the funds go to support the program, and to help schools to afford to attend the program, as there's not much help coming from government.

Typography

2009-01-28T16:42:00.000-08:00

I ran across a blog on typography fairly recently. I think it happened to correspond roughly with the screening of Helvetica on KCTS a few weeks ago. Now, I know absolutely nothing about typography, but I'm learning a bit reading I Love Typography.

Enlighten yourself and enrich your knowledge. Plus, just get a gander at some luscious type, and maybe get some inspiration.

WIP - Large Block Print

2009-01-20T21:18:00.001-08:00

This image has been burning a hole in my brain for about a decade (maybe a wee bit longer).

My step-mom took my friend & me to the west coast of Vancouver Island to spend a lovely day puddling around on the beach and in the tidepools near Port Renfrew. A perfect way to spend time, I always think (but then, being amongst marine biologists all my life has kind of made it difficult to think otherwise).

I had originally started a pen and ink sketch years ago, but abandoned it as not being able to hold my interest. Then I was reminded of the image again when I saw Sherrie York's recent post on her blog for her beautiful reduction linocut "High Tide Detritus":

High Tide Detritus by Sherrie York

So I thought to myself, "OF COURSE!" a linocut would be a brilliant way to deal with that image. Well, ok, not linocut, because I'm working in MDF lately, so a block print to be more precise. While I love Sherrie's handling of the colours and her reduction, I wanted to make the image even more abstract, so I've decided that for this one, it'll be all about black & white.

I took a little time procrastinating because I didn't have the photo here (such a pain being between two residences where almost all my art crap is with my studio/press, and I'm not there right now!), so I asked Mom to find, scan & email it to me. That took a little doing on her part; did I mention I am between two residences? That means boxes of crap in both places, neither particularly well organized. Well, standing "O" for Mom, she fished out the photo, digitized it in good pixel resolution, and sent it my way.

The next stage was deciding whether to draw onto a piece of paper then transfer that onto the block, draw onto a piece of paper adhered to the block and carve through, or draw on the block directly. The last won out; the MDF is very smooth and delightfully simple to draw directly onto, and it erases very well. I figured there would be just too much margin for goofing up the image if I tried transferring it in any fashion, so direct drawing it was. I feel that I get a bit closer to my pencil via my carving that way, kind of like the way lithography is more autographic: it's the direct result of the drawing tool, rather than being one step removed. Well, this is still the one step removed with the carving tool making the actual print markings, but at least it's a little closer with the drawn image rather than a transferred image.

So I waited a little bit longer until Dave was able to go pick up the MDF from storage (I have a lifetime supply thanks to an auction-savvy relative who obtained a number of large sheets for a construction project that is no longer going forward).

Then I had to decide on a final dimension. I had picked up a 100 pack of kitakata from Daniel Smith last spring, and I thought that would make a lovely support for this image. So not really "white" so much as a natural buff colour. Anyway, Dave very generously not only retrieved the heavy sheets of MDF, he also chopped them up to dimension on the table saw. This block is 16"x20".

I fiddled with the image on GIMP, cropped it to my liking to make the composition a little more intriguing (I hope), then printed it to a scalable dimension. My final image size is 14"x18", so I overlaid the printout with a grid of 1/2" squares, then I drew out a grid using 1" squares on my block.

The setup was finally finished: now onto drawing!

Well, that in itself took the better part of two weekends and a few days after work (when I wasn't too mentally exhausted to do so). One square at a time. That actually made the process much easier, and caused the image to become even more abstracted in my mind, even though it's a fairly good literal representation of the original (GIMPed) image. Here's a slide show of the development of the image:

Here are snapshots of the development of the image:

You can see it progressing across the block. In actual fact, I worked on it upside down so that I was going from left-to-right, and so I wouldn't smudge it. OK, and probably to add yet another level of abstraction so that my brain just drew shapes in each little 1" square and didn't panic about the huge project overall.

And the final one that I'm working on now to carve:

You can go to my Flickr account to view larger versions of all of the stages of the drawing.

I have actually started carving, but it's going to take a very long time. There's a ridiculous amount of detail, and I decided that for much of it, it'll take the teeny tiny carving bit on my Dremel. It seems to be working really well so far. Now it has to make the migration over to the studio; I'm thinking of spraying Krylon fixative on the block to keep the graphite from smudging, as I'll be sanding the block prior to inking it anyway. I'll also wrap it up in craft paper and maybe in a garbage bag (for moisture protection), too. And it'll probably get stuck into my large portfolio case, just for good measure. After that many hours of drawing, I would really like to keep it in good shape to work from!

Treasured!

2009-01-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

One of my prints was selected for a Treasury (collection of items) on Etsy:

(The link above won't last past Monday, January 19)

Thanks to surlygrrls for the inclusion!

Lessedra Update

2009-01-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

For anyone out there who is curious about Lessedra, an annual international miniature print exhibition, I have some answers.

When I first heard about Lessedra, I thought I'd do some investigation. I found that a number of printmakers that I know of and whose work I respect had entered in the past, so I thought that it might be a good opportunity. One of the reasons I had some concern was the method of payment for non-US international participants is with Western Union, and that is typically a red flag over the internet. After discovering how many artists had participated, and done so over multiple years, I figured that for the US$50 (at the time) how much of a scam could that be? Really, there aren't that many printmakers in the world :) You'd have to work awfully hard for a pretty small return, so I decided to enter (Yes, I'm skeptical by nature, but especially after being touched by scammers a few times - see my scam roll on the right side-bar).

When I was accepted for the 2007 exhibition, I was extremely excited: this is an international exhibition and I got in!! Late in 2007, my prints were returned and I received the fantastic catalogue for the exhibition. As I looked through the catalogue, I was astonished at the number of printmakers represented, and I started to become somewhat skeptical about the actualities of the exhibit. I felt that even though there were jurors, if there were that many successful participants, how could there really be any "selection"; did everyone who applied get in? Not that there's really a problem with that, but if that were the case, then the jurors' efforts would be more towards selecting winners, and being accepted would be less of a prestigious occasion.

I stand corrected.

Lessedra is a gallery in Sofia, Bulgaria. Their annual World Art Print Mini Print exhibition showcases contemporary printmakers from around the world. While the event started in 1991, it really began to take off after 2002, when Georgi Kolev, current owner and director of the gallery, started to work on the event to make it the huge success that it is today. By 2006, over 500 artists from more than 60 countries were represented in the event.

I had complained about the fee for entry, and still, I do think it's a bit expensive for my purposes. That said, the fee goes towards:

a spectacular catalogue (really, if you've never entered, and you're considering it, the catalogue of incredible work alone is worth it)
posting of successful artists' CVs on the Lessedra website (the list is maintained for the year until the next exhibition)
return postage for successful prints that remain unsold during the exhibition
administrative costs (including promotion, coordination of jurors, administration of prints and entries, etc.)

Unaccepted works are returned and the fee is refunded to any unsuccessful applicants. Lessedra does not take a commission on any sales of the prints from the exhibition. Again, that alone is a pretty good deal; most competitions/exhibitions that I know of take at least 25% commission on any sales, and often closer to 40%.

And, if you're work is of prize-winning calibre, the prizes are pretty darned good (even the special prize is equivalent to the entry fee):

First Prize (USD 500 = purchase of 3 works in edition of 2) and an invitation for a solo exhibition of the artist during the next annual exhibition.
Second Prize (USD 200 = purchase of 3 works),
Third Prize (USD 100 = purchase of 2 works).
5 Special Prizes, each one equal to USD 80 (purchase of 1 work) - a cheque covering the entry fee for participation in the next print annual.
Prize For Young Emerging Artist - USD 300 (in materials for print works) and an invitation for a solo exhibition of the artist during the next annual exhibition.
The Jury has the right to grant more than one Second and Third prizes and also more than one Prize for Young Artist.

from Lessedra Conditions for Entry

And I can attest to the fact that the catalogue itself is a potentially valuable asset to the participants: I sold a piece from the exhibit as a result of that catalogue to a purchaser in France. That sale actually managed to mostly cover the cost of my entry in 2007. So really, I shouldn't complain about the cost, but the chance of a sale from an exhibition is always iffy, so you can't bank on it when you're calculating your expenditures for the year. And I'm particularly adept at whinging about money.

I wish to thank Georgi Kolev for taking the time to contact me and to explain the success of the Lessedra exhibition, and the value of the event to international printmakers. I hope that other printmakers who are interested in participating will have a better understanding of this event when they're considering entering. If I've got enough cash rolling around spare by the time the entry nears, I'll definitely submit again.

Maria Arango - Prolific Printmaker Extraordinaire

2009-01-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Maria for the link to her image "Moon Shadow".

I think that I found Maria Arango's work originally through a link on Wet Canvas to her 1000 Woodcuts page. I first "met" Maria online when I belonged to the Baren forum discussion group; I don't think she and I have ever exchanged words, but she was (and likely still is!) an incredible coordinator for the Baren printmaking exchanges.

Maria is a talented and incredibly prolific printmaking artist whose main focus is woodblock printing. She set herself a goal almost ten years ago to create 1000 woodcut prints. She's got over 250 posted on her page, and is still working away. You can even subscribe to her updates.

Maria keeps busy with not only printmaking for herself, but also with attending art festivals, teaching workshops, and of course, getting involved in complex, time consuming projects! One of her recent masterpieces of coordination was the Baren Cairn project (I have linked to the beginning of the project diary; scroll all the way down to the first post and read upwards to get the chronological story). Each of I believe 76 participants received a carefully and uniquely cut jigsaw piece from a huge sheet of plywood, and were instructed to be creative and contribute an image with the theme of "Cairn" on their minds. The resulting print was 64.5"x29.5" in dimension (if I got the calculation right!!); check out the participant key showing who did which block.

Not only does the final Cairn edition represent work by many talented contemporary printmaking artists, but it illustrates how printmakers are such keen and enthusiastic collaborators, willing to co-ordinate with other artists to come up with something that is so much greater than just the sum of its parts*.

Thanks for the inspiration in productivity and creativity, Maria! I always look forward to what you come up with next!

* A similar project that I'd linked to about a year ago was the Periodic Table of Elements project, coordinated by Jennifer Schmitt

Wet Canvas! Printmaking Holiday Exchange 2008

2009-01-09T14:42:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally managed to get my collective together and have put together the slide show for the Wet Canvas! Printmaking holiday exchange.

Thanks to everyone who participated! It was a fantastic (as usual!) exchange.

Printsy Blog

2009-01-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Pink Skies in the Morning by Marian Johansen-Ellis

OK, I just had to share this interview: Mariann Johansen-Ellis is a delightful and talented printmaker who works in Spain and Singapore, in etching and linocut. She does these whimsical, imaginative prints using the method of à la poupée to colour her intricate etchings, and, an artist after my own heart, she also does incredibly detailed reduction linocuts.

The Regatta by Mariann Johansen-Ellis

Please read her interview on the Printsy blog here.

Also, here are a couple of exceptionally instructive videos that Mariann has uploaded to YouTube; have a watch:

On Reduction Linocut

(I want her roller!! That would make roll up so much less tedious!!!)

On Etching

Mariann says that she enjoys teaching (I understand how she feels!), and you can tell from her videos that she's very methodical about her process. I suspect she'd make a great teacher.