Artist in Residence Pt 1 - Day 6 - Mill Pond Gallery, Richmond Hill

Today was the last full workday of my week long residency.

another day another beginning

Since I am on my own and not sharing the residency with another artist, as most of the resident artists are, it means if I have a drop-in visitor or two I talk with them. 

nice carving day.

And that means the work gets put on hold.

painting sketched out by end of the day today

I'm not someone who can ignore or just say HI and get back to the task at hand. So this kind of gallery show/sitting and working does work, I have created work, but not as much as I could have.

getting bigger

That being said, the past two days have brought people into the space who are looking for prints. Mostly it has been word of mouth recommendation. 

Great!

completed skyline, one house, one car - this block will definitely need several proofs

They have heard that prints were being shown and they have made the effort to drop by and look. Many visitors want to make prints but have no access locally to a press of any size. One person has been specifically looking for a local printmaker for 6 YEARS. Others had no idea how prints were really made and once they see the big block and the carving tools and the finished prints they appreciate the work even more. It's about the most an artist can hope for when showing their work I think.

So.

Once I got home I saw that my PRINT FROG arrived from Texas! Yay! I have to try it tomorrow. I have some small blocks to print and we'll see how it works, but really, this is a tool for printing large blocks by hand without a press.

Print Frog - like a printmaking crystal ball

It has serious weight and the grip is good. Kind of wide and loose. Very excited to see what this may add to my printmaking process. It'll definitely need a post or two of its own.

Bonus! Stickers!!

 Gallery Open/Artist in Residence
July 31-Aug 6
HOURS in attendance:
Fri July 31: 1pm-8pm
Sat Aug 1: 12pm-5pm
Sun Aug 2: 12pm-5pm
Mon Aug 3: 1pm-8pm
Tues Aug 4: Gallery Open 1pm.
NOTE: I'm in attendance: 5:30pm-8pm
Wed Aug 5: 1pm-8pm
Thurs Aug 6: 1pm-10pm

Artist in Residence Pt 1 Wk 1 Day 5 - short day - Mill Pond Gallery, Richmond Hill

heading downtown early

Due to an appointment I could not reschedule,

Toronto

I spent only a few hours at the Gallery today. In my absence fellow RHGA members, Andrea and Michelle gallery sat for me making sure the gallery would be open.

Thanks!

I did make big progress creating a pile of wood shavings as I began carving my woodcut.

I am going to hunker down and see how far I can get tomorrow, my last full working day.

Last because with the Mill Pond Concert across the street on Thursday night, I am told the crowd often finds its way over to the gallery so it just isn't a day to make art but a day to talk about art. So be it.

Residency Info and Hours:

Mill Pond Gallery
314 Mill Street
Richmond Hill, ON

Gallery Open/Artist in Residence
July 31-Aug 6
HOURS in attendance:
Fri July 31: 1pm-8pm
Sat Aug 1: 12pm-5pm
Sun Aug 2: 12pm-5pm
Mon Aug 3: 1pm-8pm
Tues Aug 4: Gallery Open 1pm.
NOTE: I'm in attendance: 5:30pm-8pm
Wed Aug 5: 1pm-8pm
Thurs Aug 6: 1pm-10pm

Artist in Residence Pt 1 Day 4 - Mill Pond Gallery, Richmond Hill

Yesterday I chose my image for my next woodcut.

My panel is Russian Birch meauring 24" x 36". I am carving by hand but I may use the Dremel tool in spots. We'll see if that's what's called for.

Today I spent the day transferring the drawing to the woodblock.

charcoal and compressed charcoal

This first step begins the process that makes this image my own which is slightly different from reality as it passes through my brain and into my carving hand.

FYI:  EZcut lino makes for a good eraser.

As an unexpected bonus I decided on an image to paint for one of my reclaimed canvases but not the big one.

I am going to put most of my energy into the woodcut since it is harder for me to find the space to carve than it is to paint on an easel. I want to use my time in residence in the best way I can for me.

I think my work table's surface is fascinating.

this one too.

Residency Info and Hours:

Mill Pond Gallery
314 Mill Street
Richmond Hill, ON

Gallery Open/Artist in Residence
July 31-Aug 6
HOURS in attendance:
Fri July 31: 1pm-8pm
Sat Aug 1: 12pm-5pm
Sun Aug 2: 12pm-5pm
Mon Aug 3: 1pm-8pm
Tues Aug 4: Gallery Open 1pm.
NOTE: I'm in attendance: 5:30pm-8pm
Wed Aug 5: 1pm-8pm
Thurs Aug 6: 1pm-10pm

Artist in Residence-Pt 1 - Day 3 - Mill Pond Gallery, Richmond Hill

 Quiet Sunday at the Gallery. I met Roya today. She was the perfect person to drop in.  (Hi Roya!) Dan came by and we had a good artist talk and a couple pretty much ran through the whole exhibit without saying a word, though I heard them laughing upstairs, which is good cause my funny things are up there.

I made coffee and have been leaving my keys everywhere. Just like home.

I made big progress today. After viewing image after image on the computer I've chosen my next subject for a large scale woodcut in my suburbs series.  Ironically it came from an image I took this morning, and wasn't even on the hard drive, though what I will paint was, but I took that image a day ago. So, very fresh work. Love that.

garden with deer

I started transferring the image to the block but have another hour or so before I complete it. I placed the grid onto my canvas but left it at that. No idea what will go on my extra large canvas. In every way it is a blank to me. Long workday today. Hope to make great progress!

Residency Info and Hours:

Mill Pond Gallery
314 Mill Street
Richmond Hill, ON

Gallery Open/Artist in Residence
July 31-Aug 6
HOURS in attendance:
Fri July 31: 1pm-8pm
Sat Aug 1: 12pm-5pm
Sun Aug 2: 12pm-5pm
Mon Aug 3: 1pm-8pm
Tues Aug 4: Gallery Open 1pm.
NOTE: I'm in attendance: 5:30pm-8pm
Wed Aug 5: 1pm-8pm
Thurs Aug 6: 1pm-10pm