Cuckoo

Cuckoo, mixed media with acrylic, 12 x 12

This one was a challenge because the birdie was mostly in shadow and hiding in the foliage. I loved the fact that it had these splashes of light on it from the sun coming through the dense green cover.

Time and Again, WIP

Time and Again, 8 x 18, acrylic

I printed my latest Fredericksburg block three times end to end to create this view. I have admired the work of other artists when they have done repeated prints from the same block on a single work of art. So, I decided to try it. I have begun to paint it and plan to do much more. I printed on gessoed canvas and will stretch it myself, leaving a big sky. I really like the look of long narrow paintings.

Family Portrait

Family Portrait, mixed media, acrylic and collage, 22 x 28

I worked a lot on this one today--another one for my show. It may need a bit of tweaking here and there.

These guys are so handsome, and I think they know it. I can just see this hanging in their hallway or over the mantle, though I do understand that they're not home much. They spend a great deal of time trekking.

Little Dirty Birdie Feet, etc

Dirty Little Birdy Feet, collage and acrylic, 5 x 5

OK--this painting comes with a warning. It's weird! My friend Mary gave me the idea so I dedicate it to her.

And in other news....On Wednesday, I sold a piece of slate about Fredericksburg that I posted about last week, and at the same time, got a commission to paint another one. I had already mounted the block I use to give me my basic outline onto my recycled art board, so I had to cut another one. This is the black and white print of that block.

Scenes About Fredericksburg, block print, 3.5 x 6.25

Exciting title, what?!

And then, here is my latest painting on slate about Fredericksburg. After I printed the above on the slate, I painted the scene. I delivered it tonight to be a surprise Fathers' Day present. Isn't that cool?

Scene about Fredericksburg #6, acrylic on slate

And then, after this one was in the works, another lady ran in with her three kids to order another one for THEIR dad! Three in one week--not bad!

Love Letter

This is what I've been working on for the past little while. Its working title is Love Letter to Fredericksburg, and is my attempt to re-purpose some of my used/old printmaking blocks to make something new. This is essentially a large printmaking block. I made it by collaging recycled papers over an old painting on a canvas board and then mounted expired or discarded blocks on it, all of which have something to do with my adopted town. Originally I was planning two pieces of art from this, the first one being the block, and the second an embellished print from the block.

Today I pulled four prints on two different papers, and while I was really happy with the prints, it became pretty clear that the block itself was not going to stand up to the challenge of being framed and displayed. Below is the third print I pulled, on a Rives light sheet of warm white paper.


For my finished project, however, I want to use the print pulled on a handmade Thai grass paper, mount it on a piece of water color paper to strengthen it, and then embellish it with thread. The love letter part is the writing which explains where in Fred the image came from, why I made the piece and/or why it's so important to me.

Below is my sample piece, and I apologize now for the poor quality of the photo, but I wanted to give an idea of where I am going with this. To test out the paper and the process, I took a test print of an arrangement of my blocks. In order to be able to get the thread and needle through the double sheet of paper, I used an awl and hammer to poke holes in the pattern I wanted to sew. Can you see the Rappahannock River???

My plan is to mat and frame the final embellished print and enter it in a show at LibertyTown called Discarded Potential.

Gathering of Pears

A Gathering of Pears, series of greeting cards
relief prints, hand colored with watercolor pencils

For a couple of days I'll be working on small things that can be done quickly and left easily if I get interrupted. Here are three new cards. Each card is a unique piece of original artwork. Very uncomplicated and fun.

Run, Don't Walk, to Artomatic

Here's my plug for you, if it is at all possible, to get to DC to see the extravaganza of arts that is Artomatic. Not only are there 8 floors of visual artwork of all kinds by area artists, (and even some glass artists from England) but there are musical shows, comedy shows, and places to buy food and drink. It is exciting to be in a place which is the fruition of hundreds of creative minds. It's also just fun!

My husband, son and I went up last night for Meet the Artists, and although we did get to 5 of the 8 floors, this is a place where you need to go back a couple of times to see it best. Parking (when there is no Nationals game is $6 right under the building. Entry to Artomatic is free.) There were two artists I knew were going to be there, so we looked at the handy chart you get as you enter on the first floor of 55 M St., SE, saw where Tracey Clarke and Lisa Osgood-Dano were and headed off to find them first.

Tracey's spot is on the third floor, and I got to see her mythical creations on canvas and read her stories up close and personal. She has a show in November in the Members' Gallery at FCCA, so she and I have been in conversation about that, but I have been reading her blog for about 8 months and find her work really amazing.

Lisa is a glass mosaic artist and her work is almost more of an assemblage of all kinds of elements from fossils to stone to tile to I'm not sure really what-all. But it is magnificent. Check her out. She is associated with the Washington Glass School which had a large presence up on the 9th floor.

Along the way back and forth (yes, we took the stairs!) I ran into the work of these four artists whose work really appealed to me. I got to talk with Pam Rogers, who uses plant juices, earth, coffee, handmade paper--lots of things she encounters in her everyday life--to help create her wonderful works. I was really drawn to them and their feeling of bundled up, almost stifled, energy ready to burst out in beautiful, vital color.

I also loved the work of Johanna Mueller and Ginny Kinsey, both printmakers. Johanna's work, from engravings on hard plastic plates, is very detailed. The prints are filled with dark humor and creatures which look to be out of Grimm's fairy tales, but have a very personal narrative. She has just finished a MFA in printmaking from George Mason and teaches her craft in the NVA and DC area.

Ginny's work is whimsical and graphic. I liked especially her images of a little girl character variously riding her bike, listening to a boom box and dj-ing--Sassy (or Sass?) with her hands on her hips was my favorite. I believe her work is mostly done from lino cuts. I did not get a chance to meet Ginny.

I also missed meeting Ellen Cornett, whose pastels are brightly colored, drawing on childhood memories, favorite dolls and stories, mixed up and reborn as vigorous, interesting tales of their own.

My 16 year old son really enjoyed the participatory displays and the one by the Post Secret creator, Frank Warren who was there signing books last night.

Oh, and just a short metro ride from the Artomatic site, conveniently located on top of a metro stop, is Oyamel, a fantastic tapas restaurant where we ate dinner last night.

July 5th is the closing date. Don't miss it!