February the 14th-St. Valentine's Day

I'm ready to print - woodblock and registration sheets ready to go

Better than a red carpet


First block - White Ink

Stage 1 - White


Second Stage - Yellow Block

White to Yellow



Stage 3 - Orange



2nd Stage/Block Yellow to Orange


Next: Red Block

Orange to Red



Looking at my prints so far


Double Layer hemp paper's underside after being printed with the wooden spoon for 5 colours; not much bleed, strong paper.


Final Print - 5 colours: white, yellow, orange, red, blue

I don't have any pictures of Key West today as I was in the studio until the late afternoon then went to my sister's to get away from the studio for a while. She gave me a canvas to work on so I started a painting that's been brewing in me for over a week. But not before I had some kumquats from the tree on her deck.





Here's my underpainting. I adore this composition though the left side is completely unresolved at this point. No matter. It'll come in the fullness of time, just like all good things.

Must get to bed, I am exhausted and I have a heavy duty day-before-the exhibit work day ahead of me tomorrow. I'll be tying up all loose ends.

Things I made this month and how some things happen to be made

All August I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. After extreme disappointment at having to cancel my vacation this year, and moping about that off and on for a good three weeks, I still managed to get some things started, some completed and some heading off into new directions. Here's what I'm talking about...

Paintings

This month I read a book about the work of James Christensen, looking closely at his big fat bodies. Thanks to Laurie C., and her enthusiasm for this artist, she kept telling me I had to read it, that I would love it. And yeah, she was right. I do love it. I didn't know what to do with it, except enjoy it, and then I gave it back.

I had to start getting ready for an art in the park so I began to get the creative juices flowing by returning to a series of panelled works I've been doing for 5 or 6 years now. I made a Many Moods of Birds painting,

and as I worked on it I started staring at the bottom bird and his big forehead and his large lower body. The feeling of the Christensen bodies took me over and I wanted to make them really big and fat...big fat birds. But then they just started to become characters. Sometimes it just happens. I sketched a few out very quickly




and put it all aside for another day. Within a week I had these two compositions completed.

The Relative

Making Plans

I also painted First Flight over this past weekend
and have 3 more sketched out. I love the big fat birds. They're going to be around a while.

And if that isn't enough, Laurie C. gave me this quilting fat quarter... ROBOTS! I love the robot...
I'm thinking astronauts, robots, aliens, big fat birds and cats.. and insects and secrets... much to ponder.

Other Things In Progress

Ceramic Buttons

I framed and submitted new work to the school boutique including

colour reduction woodblock print My House My Rules

etching and aquatint Today's the Day

etching and aquatint Through

and this painting called Ma Mare has been vexing me for a few months. I have painted, and repainted, it a few times and this weekend I brought it to Carp and all of a sudden, it was ready and I finished it within an hour. I put it on display and had 6 people express interest and then it sold. Fresh work.

Also this month I submitted this work, called One Small Step, to The Bay at Bayshore as part of their Live Artfully promotion. It's on display in their store!