In the Name of Art

Printmaking, hand drawn pattern marks.

One of my secret loves is printmaking. Anne Bagby's binder for the pattern exchange had a theme of small handmade marks (to make pattern) with some beautiful examples of carved prints that looked as though the artist hadn't started with a sketch, they were very rough. It was all the excuse I needed. I printed several of my hand-carved prints onto a page of the phone book but this one didn't make the cut and ended up in my journal instead. I'll post the one that did tomorrow.

March Journal Early

I got my order of Washi tape recently and decided to have some journal fun with it. Added some watercolor and some gouache, a bit of pencil and liked the border so much I might have to do a painting the same way. One thing leads to another.....

Tonight is the reception at Summit ArtSpace for "Fresh and Springy" downstairs and John Sokol upstairs in the Box Gallery. It's always a huge party and you're invited!

A Little Christmas Luck and Page 2

Late in December, some Christmas luck picked fresh today after my morning walk. There was snow on these but I couldn't catch that. I'm getting pretty good at spotting these amongst all the 3-leafed varieties.

.....and page 2 from the gifted journal with the paper-bag pages. Dog news and such. The new pups have no respect for our old lady dog, she's the last of the old guard and all her friends at the lake have passed on. 

December Journal

No entries for 11 days and then, presto! Back at it. This month is too busy and I've sacrificed collage time for everything else in the holiday mode. But it was very quiet this morning, no distractions, a steady rain falling and banks of fog building up across the lake. It was a good time to commit December (or a bit of it anyway) to paper. And one of these days I am going to show up at Mr. Sketchy's Anti Art School, even if I can't drink!

Journal on Wonder

At Bare Root is the title to my show at Studio 2091 Gallery and since I decided after the opening to let up a bit on making art, I started in the journal. As I've explained before the great advantage to these pages is the "no worries" component. Life is too short to worry the art!

Dark or Light but Really November

Journal work is mostly play for me but it does allow for some epic failures that I don't worry about because I'm the only one who sees them in all their glory. Well, there's this blog too, but the commentary gives some of the more awkward pages a context. This page turned out to be a bit over-done. These are the last 2 steps. After I've got the pieces and parts together but things aren't quite right I'll try balancing the darks and lights, at least that's what this one seemed to need. My journal pages make for good visual calisthenics. The parts to this came from some of my extra printmaking images, I'll be using those til they're gone.

A Season and the Journal

This week I finished up with some ATCs for the exchange and did way too much printmaking. Going up to the lake I threw the extras into one of my (numerous) collage bags and then looked for a poem in the green journal to suit the visuals. Looking at the riches discarded by trees brought the writing on, that and the season. Writing is not my strong suit and I can't plot to save my soul but the short takes come to me occasionally. This is one of them. 

The open drawer with the ink rolled out. I love printmaking but don't do much of it, lucky for me the love translated into all the materials I need should the impulse strike.

Some of what I was working with. The curled leaf was so beautiful when I picked it up, not the color but the form.

Many prints of an old self-portrait and other parafenalia, then they had to dry so I patched some old jeans.

Was privileged today to see a kingfisher perched just outside my window on the bird feeder. He had a good view of the lake that way and wasn't interested in the seed. Coots and buffle-headed ducks are on the lake today too. I keep my old binoculars close at hand.

Paper bag Pages (More)

Left is from the OCS excursion to Dayton and right is the list and musings for the solo show in Cuyahoga Falls. I'm not certain what to put in the other pages so I may just count ordinary events and use it for that!

From the OCS Reception Last Week

From last weekend (November 4) and the OCS show in Dayton. I'm a tad obsessive about events and that leads me into journaling. Some of the evidence collected here is from stuff collected at the Dayton event but some, including the book itself (bound in leather with pages of wine bags) were part of a care package sent by Lynne Perella from the group of artists who met in Massachusetts last fall. This year they met in Pickens SC and I had planned to go but health issues intervened. I didn't realize so much wonderful stuff would come to me through the mail! Anyway, this is page 1. Thank you to the anonymous person who made the empty art book! I also received another book that I suspect is an Ann Bagby.....hmmmmm......and it is currently being filled with comments down at the gallery, I'll post that later. More pages from events to come soon!

The postcard at upper right is from Jose's show at Akrona with an opening the same night as mine, go see if you're in the area.

Journal Ode to Burchfield

It made me cheerful just thinking about doing this, and then I was glad to do it! When I fell in love with art history I fell in love with Charles Burchfield, and to think he lived about 25 miles from here as the crow flies. So this was my play page with help from Charles. It's not easy balancing the work with the play but it's essential.....I'm getting an urge to cut some relief prints and will have to find some time for that as well. None of which will be "shown" of course, except in the blog. This attraction to all materials is the result of teaching art for too long, all those techniques are still seductive, even in retirement.