Thanks Lori!

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!

Blog 10,000!

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!

Figure Show - Federation of Canadian Artists

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

Spilsbury Medal Show

Tonight was the opening and awards reception for the Spilsbury Medal Show at the Federation of Canadian Artists. I am eligible (first year was last year and I did get accepted with Crossroads), but have done no work this year that's worthy of submission. Well, not entirely true; my print "Returning to the Land" would have been worthy of submission, but as I produced it at Pal Press with Pat's help, it doesn't qualify for a juried Federation show. Printmaking can involve the master printmaker and the artist/printmaker, and still be considered the artist's work, but the Federation has rules against entering work that's not entirely by the hand of the artist, fair enough. Anyway, the Spilsbury show is the annual signature member only show, and the awards are quite prestigious. I have a loooong way to go before I'd ever get an award, but I would definitely like to try to get in again next year; it's a big deal to be accepted.

So here's a little history of Jim Spilsbury, for whom the show was named, and who originally sponsored the prize medals, from my article in the recent Art Avenue (the FCA publication):

Most members of the Federation recognize the name Spilsbury from the eponymous award show, an annual event open only to Signature members. I had no idea whom this show was named after, nor what kind of significance that name held for all British Columbians, especially on the coast. I was intrigued when I recognized the name gracing the spine of a book on my father-in-law’s shelf, so I borrowed the volume to satisfy my curiosity. What a treasure I had uncovered!

Spilsbury’s Coast, by Howard White and Jim Spilsbury, is an account of the incredible life of one of B.C.’s most remarkable pioneers, Aston James Spilsbury (1905 – 2003), 1993 recipient of the Order of British Columbia. Within a single lifetime, Jim Spilsbury was an active participant in the technological revolution of radio communication and aviation transportation on the West Coast of B.C. Due to a fateful lack of aptitude for working on the open ocean, Jim’s career as a merchant mariner was cut short by constant sea- and home-sickness. But while he was aboard the S.S. Melville Dollar, he was introduced to what would become a life-long passion: radio communication. Jim was an innovator in the radio communication industry, plying the waters of the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait to attend to his isolated customer’s needs. He developed, serviced and jury-rigged radios, from the original tubes to radiotelephones, with ingenuity and spare parts, to keep communications open with remote outposts of logging camps and fishing villages to the outside world. His various radio communication enterprises were evolved through the efforts of improving sporadic communication along this rugged coastline. In 1943, Jim bought a seaplane, one of the first on this coast, to improve services for his radio communication business. While no longer in business, Jim’s Queen Charlotte Airlines grew to Canada’s third largest airline in 1955. Spilsbury Communications Ltd. expanded to become recognized internationally and Canada’s largest radio-telephone exporter.

Beyond all of these accomplishments, Jim Spilsbury was a talented storyteller, an enthusiastic teacher, and an accomplished artist, representing his beloved coast in pastels and pen-and-ink. While there has been an annual Signature members’ exhibition held at the Federation for decades, Jim Spilsbury was persuaded to fund the original medals created, through Jeanne Duffey’s suggestion and Stafford Plant’s encouragement, in 1992. The first gold medal winner was Alan Wylie (who has achieved this award now four times, once again this year, since its inception). This annual event represents the culmination of work for each Signature member involved, and the gold medal award is arguably the most prestigious available within the Federation. This year’s show runs from December 9 to 24, and the opening is during our annual Christmas party, on Thursday, December 11 from 4-6 pm in the gallery. Please join us for this spectacular exhibition, showcasing work by some of the best artists in the Federation, and be sure to catch the exciting medal presentation at the opening.

Thanks to FCA historian, Ellen Poole, for her gracious assistance with details regarding the Spilsbury award show.

Free Advertising

I am participating inMalaspina Printmakers semi-annual members' exhibition "Hot Off the Press", and the image mosaic that they use to advertise the event, at least on their website, includes two of the three pieces that I dropped off to have hang in the show! Took me long enough to discover it - the show's only been up since mid-June! If you happen to be wandering around on Granville Island before August 31, make sure to pop into Malaspina to see what's up. There is quite a selection of delightful prints from local (and international) printmakers who are also members of Malaspina.

Another show that's coming up is the Federation of Canadian Artists' international Painting on the Edge event. I didn't submit this year, but apparently over 700 others did, fifty of whom were finally accepted by the three-member jury. I'm planning on attending the opening on Thursday, August 21 from 6-9pm. This is an annual, open exhibition where anyone can enter; usually, the exhibitions at the Federation are open only to Federation members (and generally only Active or Signature members, at that). So, like BIMPE this year, this is a fabulous opportunity to view work of contemporary artists from around the world in our own back yard.

Also, my website has reached over 5,000 visitors in less than a year since I started recording such things. I thought that was just pretty darned cool.

Gallery in the Garden

Last Sunday, I participated in the Delta Arts Council's Art in the Garden this year, held at Wellbrook Winery in south Delta. The weather was perfect, the setting was fabulous, there were an amazing number and selection of artists at the event, and we had a pretty good turnout. They placed us under this beautiful copper beech tree, one of my favourites, and it gave us lovely shade all day long. I even managed to sell a couple of pieces! I demonstrated printmaking while there, setting up my new baby press and churning out little prints to hand out to people who were interested. I spent a lot of time explaining printmaking and the various techniques that I use, and specifically showing how relief printmaking works. I had a number of people very interested in learning, a few teachers who will probably contact me to do some in-class demos or workshops with their kids, and a few workshop and demo organizers for various art groups who were likewise interested. All in all, a delightful day, and I hope to be invited back again next year.

Dave spent the week before labouriously constructing these magnificent art display stands, and Mom came over to help out for the weekend, so we set her to painting them a flat, neutral grey. They looked so professional and really worked well for display, as well as standing up very well to the brisk wind that continued to blow throughout the day.

BIMPE V

For those of you who have no idea what BIMPE is, it stands for "Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition", and it is a fabulous showcase of printmaking artists from around the world, currently on at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island in Vancouver until June 22 (then it moves to Dundarave Print Workshop from July 8 - August 3). If you are in the area, please go see these prints in person. The styles, techniques and world-class skills are overwhelming, and require quite a lengthy visit to truly appreciate these delicate miniature works of art.


Dave & I attended the opening, which was from 6-8 pm on Friday, June 6. It was packed. I have never seen that many people at an opening at the Federation before; it was absolutely incredible. At one point, people were lined out the door to come in. And not only was it packed with admiring viewers, but people were actually pulling out their wallets and putting money down for their favourites. Other than the fact that these are all incredible pieces of art, they're also extremely portable, charming, and very affordable (many for less than $100, most between $100 - $150), and as they're not framed, they're easy to take home on the airplane!

My friends Kathy and Katka came down to see the show, and another printmaker (Beth Sobel) from Wet Canvas made the trip up from Bellingham with her husband & in-laws. I found the work of one other printmaker (Lynn Macintyre) from Wet Canvas, but as there are just so many pieces, and the labels were pretty tiny, that if I didn't know to look for you, I am sorry if I missed your work! Please write a comment - I'll be going back on Wednesday (June 9) to volunteer at the gallery, so I'll be able to look again more closely.

I had the honour of being introduced to Jim Westergard, winner again of a BIMPE Honourable Mention, and one of my wood engraving idols. His work is full of whimsy and charm, and he is very passionate about his chosen medium. I was so happy that he made it to the opening - he lives in Red Deer, Alberta, and drove (via Nelson, to pick up his wood engraver buddy, Gene Leavitt, who was also represented at BIMPE this year) all the way out here basically just for the opening. Jim also introduced me to Karen Kunc, a woodblock printmaker from Nebraska, who is in town at Malaspina Printmakers as their artist in residence for June. Although she did not apply to BIMPE, you can see her solo exhibition "Visualizing the Urban/Rural Divide" at Malaspina until June 15.

After the opening, the die-hards of the lot wandered over to New Leaf Editions, the hosts, coordinators and masterminds of BIMPE, for a barbeque and feast, accompanied by Dead Frog brew: a wonderful and generous spread put on by Peter & Katie of NLE. Thanks guys!!

Sold!

Bare Branches II, single block relief print
3"x4", Speedball water-soluble inks on Strathmore Bristol 2006

I put two prints into the recent International Miniature Print Exhibition at the Ottawa School of Art, and both of them sold! The gallery/school has been less than brilliant at communicating anything to any of the participants. I had to find out that I was accepted through a printmaker in the area who went to the exhibition and let me know (and took photos of the exhibit itself). I had to find out that I sold one piece from her email, and another piece from my Aunt's email to me after she and her son had visited the show. I'm happy that I was accepted and thrilled that my work sold, but really, a little communication on the part of the organizers wouldn't kill them. Ah, well!

Where the Lilies Grow, reduction cut relief print
4"x3" (approx.), Speedball water-soluble inks on Strathmore Bristol, 2007

Lessedra 2007

Kinsol II
Technique: relief print
Media: Speedball water-soluble relief ink on Strathmore Bristol
Dimensions: 4"x3"
Year: 2006

I was one of the many international artists accepted into the Lessedra annual mini print exhibition in 2007. This year, they upped the fee to US$70, and it's a bit steep. Basically, you get a great catalogue at the end of the show, but it's kind of like vanity publishing, I reckon. I don't know that anyone who applies gets turned away, and other printmakers who've entered feel that way too.

That said, entering last year's competition just paid itself off! I had a lovely email from a lady in France who'd seen my Kinsol II print in the catalogue and decided that she really wanted to buy it. I sent her my Etsy link, and the next day she purchased it! Too bad it didn't happen a couple of weeks ago; I didn't bother entering Lessedra this year because with BIMPE & the Ottawa mini print, I just couldn't justify the entry fee. Maybe next year... :)

Pressing Matters in Printmaking

I was asked to participate in the invitational "Pressing Matters in Printmaking" exhibition at the Southern Highland Craft Guild in Asheville, North Carolina, from January 19 - May 18, 2008. I'm quite excited because it's the first curated event that I've been asked to participate in. There are fifty artists, and each was invited to submit up to two pieces. I submitted:

"Crossroads", 2007
Reduction cut relief print
Speedball water-soluble inks on black Rising Stonehenge
Dimensions: 7"x4"

"Turtle Pair", 2007
Stone lithograph, printed at Pal Press, Mill Bay, BC
Graphic Chemical lithography inks on Rives BFK
Dimensions: 5.75"x11.5"

Nikki Josheff, the curator, contacted me via email. She had seen my work after coming across my website through an internet search for printmaking. She really liked my stuff, especially the lithos (thanks Pat!). As that was what she was particularly interested in, I definitely wanted to send one of my lithos, and "Turtle Pair" is just a nice image, all around, so that was my choice. But litho is not what I normally do, so I really wanted to include one of my reduction relief prints, too. As "Crossroads" had been recently accepted into a fairly prestigious exhibit at the Federation of Canadian Artists, I thought it would be a good one to send.

I was quite amazed to be discovered, and thoroughly honoured to be invited, so I'm particularly chuffed to be able to participate. Fortunately, both pieces arrived safe & sound without any damage to the frames (courtesy of a skookum crate built by Dave to protect his lovely frames).

Weather Worries

Last Monday I had a demo to do at the Port Moody Art Association, and we were being threatened with snow. While not a huge deal, if the Lower Mainland gets snow, then where we are (up on a hill in Burnaby) and where I was headed to, I would go through a few spots where snow would definitely be accumulating. The rest of Canada always scoffs at the West Coast for our complete lack of ability to drive in the white stuff, and while they aren't wrong, a significant factor they tend to ignore is that we don't have the snow removal budget or man-power that they do. Plus, we have LOTS of significant hills, something at least not an issue in the Prairies.

Anyhow, there was little snow, but TONS of rain. There were a dedicated group of about 30 people who showed up for the demo (thanks everyone who braved the weather!), and I think the demo went well. Of course, I'm still having issues with Speedball inks drying on the Plexi, but until I find something I can use as an alternative, I just have to keep cleaning & re-brayering. So here are some photos from the demo, and one of the prints that I did as part of the demo (rainbow roll & reduction all in one!)

Discussing carving tools & carving the block

Preparing the rainbow roll

Burnishing the paper to transfer the ink

Reduction & rainbow roll techniques combined

Our Black, White & Red, Revisited exhibition for the Printmakers Only Group was kind of a flop, but it looked so good! We all arrived on Friday to set up, and discussions about the weather forecast were uppermost in our conversations. We were due to have at least 15cm of snow fall but more like 20-40cm. We got the latter, if not more, over the entire weekend. We had a few bodies arrive and even purchase work early on the Saturday, but by lunch-time, the snow was flying fast and furious. So here are some photos from the thwarted exhibition (we had to wait until Monday to pick up our work, as no one was traveling on the Sunday, and few people could even get out onto the roads, which were not especially clear).

From our "theme" room

Beverlee McLeod's "Fish Farm" monoprint
body printed from plastic stencil wrapped in masking tape,
gelatin prints for the little fishes,
woven thread "net" containing the little fishes within the body, mounted on black paper

Patrick Hill Ladybug stone lithograph

Some of the POG crew at the show in the "secondary" room
guest Marilyn Dyer, POGers Susan Law, Bev Koski-Cooper & Mary Oscar

guest Marilyn Dyer & me with a couple of my block prints

So getting home from the show was a bit of a nightmare. A trip that should have taken a little over half an hour was a two and a half hour ordeal. You can see why:


And this was our truck after about 14" of snow over less than 24 hours:

As I sat here drafting this post, our power crashed. So it's been two solid days without power, which means, here at my Mom's, no flushing toilets, no running water, to go with the no lights, no computer, no TV. We finally had power restored this morning. Following the heavy snowfall, we had a "pineapple express" roar through, with I don't know how much rain, but a heck of a lot. Of course, on top of all of that snow, which resulted in this:

View of Cowichan Bay flooding courtesy of Beverlee McLeod

Group Exhibitions "Firsts"

I cordially invite you to attend any one of three group shows that I am in for the first time.

The first, hosted by the Printmakers Only Group, will be at the Chemainus Festival Inn (Chemainus is between Victoria & Nanaimo on Vancouver Island), on Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2, from 10 am to 5 pm each day. There will be a number of framed and unframed prints available, and we'll have one gallery that showcases our theme for this year. There will be members demonstrating their techniques during the show.

Fraser Foreshore Morning

The second, held at the Federation of Canadian Artists gallery, on Granville Island, is the Spilsbury Medal Show (this link will also update to display the Spilsbury once the current exhibit, which I'm also in, changes), which is open only to signature status members of the Federation. As I became an Associate member as of this spring, this is the first time I have qualified to enter, and I am very honoured to have been juried to participate, because there are not many AFCA members represented at this particular show. The opening is on Thursday, December 6, from 4-6 pm. The show runs until December 23.

Crossroads

The third, held at the Malaspina Printmakers Society gallery, also on Granville Island, opens on Thursday, December 6, from 7-9 pm. The show probably runs until December 23. As I just became a member of Malaspina this year, this is my first member show that I've been able to participate in.

Northwestern

Young's Ford

Opening Night, Mark II

Thursday, November 8 marked the opening for the Place des Arts Positively Petite exhibition, which coincided with the solo exhibition opening, Solitude, paintings by my friend, Alice Rabinowitz. As my relief printmaking class at Port Moody Arts Centre got canceled (only one person signed up, sigh), I was able to make the opening.

Alice's show is a collection of paintings and haiku, from florals to life models to en plein air, including watercolours, monotypes and mixed media work. The work was beautifully hung in a spacious room at Place des Arts, and there were many people in attendance admiring Alice's work, including a number of friends that drove all the way out from the west side of Vancouver, White Rock and North Vancouver on a weekday evening!

Alice Rabinowitz with her monotype "Sun Shower" at "Solitude"

At the Positively Petite opening, I met a fellow Wet Canvas! addict, Madelaine Fedorowich. She hangs out usually in the acrylics, oils and miniature forums, so I don't cross paths online with her too often. Anyway, it was very exciting to put a face to a web presence, and to her art - it was nice to meet her there. This was Madelaine's first exhibition, with a delightful selection of tiny, cheerful little birds (and other subjects), so congratulations Madelaine!

Work of Madelaine Fedorowich at "Positively Petite"

Madelaine and myself in front of my works at "Positively Petite"

Also in attendance was another fellow Federation (and Wet Canvas!) artist, James Koll, who had absolutely exquisite watercolours, two of which (both of sunflowers) sold and left the building that night. Great work James!

I actually ran into quite a few people that I knew and didn't expect to see, so it was really a fun evening. If you are in Coquitlam, Alice's Solitude exhibition is on until December 8, and the Positively Petite exhibition until December 21.

A BC Bestiary

Last night was the opening for my first solo exhibition, "A BC Bestiary" at the Blackberry Gallery in the Port Moody Arts Centre. There were a total of four shows opening that evening, and thank goodness, because the turnout for Kwi Am Choi's retrospective was significant. If they had relied solely on my contribution of followers, the attendance would have been pretty slender.

That said, it was a fantastic evening. I'm thrilled with the final product: the show hangs very well, the work has a unified theme & feel, and it just looks great.

Here is proof that I was at the show, but unfortunately, it's not the world's best photo, and it's the only one I got!!

It quickly became crowded in there once guests started to arrive, and I was so busy talking about my work & methodology, that I didn't have the presence of mind to take any further photos of people actually looking at anything!! Ah, well, maybe next time!

I received many extremely positive comments, and quite a few people told me that I should publish the project as a book. That was certainly my intention early on, but I got so sick of the whole thing by the end of the year of working on it, that I didn't want to think about it at all any more. I am now more positively inclined towards the collection, so I might yet look into how to get it published in the near-ish future. I also spoke with a number of people who were interested in learning relief printmaking, and were intrigued that my method does not require a press. Perhaps some new students? We shall see!

Anyway, for those who might be interested, here's the "artist statement" from the show:

I am from a family of biologists and artists, so I honestly come by my fascination with nature, and my desire to transform that feeling onto paper. Strongly influenced by my grandmother's art and my parent's knowledge and love of our natural world, I could hardly escape. I studied the world through the eyes of the scientific method and now my work is directed by the methodology of printmaking. I love the challenge of interpreting an image or an idea into a print, building the process in my mind, working within the constraints of the media, exploring ways to expand beyond them, and realizing the final outcome on paper. Printmaking requires development of precise technical skill and craftsmanship, yet provides an expressive medium for creative dialogue.

Interpretations of the alphabet have always intrigued me. When I was very young, my father returned from one of his trips to the Arctic with an Inuit alphabet poster. That was my first introduction to different way of looking at the alphabet – an alphabet which was in a different language, representing creatures and items that were not common in my daily life. Another source of early inspiration was A Collection of Thoughts and Pictures Based on the Alphabet by Mike Yazzolino, a very esoteric approach to this most basic listing of the building blocks of our language. One of my favourites, and perhaps one of the most exquisitely illustrated and presented children's alphabets, is Wallace Edward's Alphabeasts - required bookshelf content for all.

An alphabet of BC's familiar and not-so-familiar denizens seems a perfect way to combine my knowledge in science, my interest in nature and my skills as an artist. By working in miniature, I aim to encourage the viewer to take a step forward and investigate further, rather than standing aloof and uninvolved. The bestiary ranges from the common to the bizarre, but each member has a job in the mosaic of our landscape. The visual alphabet of the printed image provides a glimpse into our natural heritage.