Springing the brain

dandelion_2016

We are now entering the time of green. Everything is leafing out, pollen is flowing, lungs are coughing, sinuses are draining. Ahhh, spring! We’ve missed you!

So many little things are going on with life, some not terribly interesting and others along the art line. I finally was well enough to travel to Eugene and start working on the new business (vacation rental property). Not much fun, but kinda a must since it’s a family operation.  In the art world, I commissioned a new table for the Takach press.

table_takach press

A dear printmaking friend’s husband is an amazing creator of everything. I asked if he could make me a table like he made for his wife, and I got it! I’m so happy!! Of course, it still requires some sort of finishing paint job, but that’s do-able. We made a big trip to the dump and the garage is feeling much more open. This will really help make prints happen over the next several months!

A friend has asked me to participate in the 2016 Philomath Open Studio Tour. Since my friend Judi was taking this year off (and I have only participated with her), I hadn’t thought anyone else would want me. Well, Faye Cummins has stepped in and asked me to join her for this year. I feel so honored! I really thought I was taking the season off, but maybe that’s changed. I met Faye through our arts critique group and she is such a wonderful enthusiastic person! How can I pass up the chance to exhibit in her space? Well, I guess I can officially announce I’ll be part of the 2016 guest artists.

cherry bee_2016

Our international collaboration group has decided on individual subject matters!  The new collaboration is print based, rather than a sketchbook. I won’t spoil anyone else’s ideas, but let you know I’ve put forward “pollinators” as my subject. Hopefully you can spot the honeybee in the center zone of this photo. I’ve found it’s very difficult to take clear images of bees in action, especially with slow cameras. We’re in the low 80’s today (26C) and everything is active outside. Wasps, yellow jackets and the little honey bees. It’s so nice to have warmth again.

 

Sheepish 

  
I spent more of my night coughing and awake than asleep. I’m still recovering from a horrendous respiratory infection that started about 2 weeks ago. Rather than going to Eugene today, I figured another day of rest was a wise choice. I thought a quick sketch of the mama sheep from Sunday was an appropriate subject. The sheep might show up in a print once I feel better acquainted with the form. Possibly more sketches to come, larger and in charcoal….

HB pencil, 8.5″x12″ sketchbook 

Spring Equinox 2016

marys peak_r

Sunday was filled with life and love. It was the spring equinox, our 21st wedding anniversary, and a dear friends birthday. We joined art friends for the monthly “popcorn and art” short films showing at The Farm. Not only did we see a great group of friends, but we also visited the sheep and lambs.

sheep parade

At the barn, we checked out the triplets still penned up. One of the triplets almost died, but is doing much better now.

baa like a lamb_r

Above: Dave holding his new friend and trying to communicate in sheep language.

Below: Mama sheep and Harry. Mama sheep was very watchful over her babies. Last year she had quadruplets, but only one survived.

farmer Harry_r

spring at carols_r

I’ll take this one Harry! It’s like holding a longer legged Hazel in my arms.

Spring equinox carols_r

The extra treat of the day was getting to see our friend Bobbie W. (center). Carol (right) and I first met her in 2004 on a sketching trip in Brittany France. We had such a grand time together, we all went sketching in Oaxaca Mexico (dia de los muertos) the following year.

To finish the day, my sketchbook friends in Australia and Minnesota have all agreed to a new project involving printmaking! Thank you Anna! I’m so excited to see how this one develops. I’ll share more as it gains momentum.

Happy Spring to all in the Northern Hemisphere, and Happy Autumn to our Southern Hemisphere friends!

Gale

Circle of Life- The Final Sketchbook

AnnaWarren_ Book Cover_

Here is the long awaited completion to Anna Warren’s Sketchbook collaboration. The project was started in March 2015. Anna’s theme was “The Circle of Life”. I found it fascinating that we all chose plants as our muses for this book. Below is the first group page. You can get  a flavor for what each artist is following.

AnnaWarren_Group Front page

Next is Anna’s incredible graphite drawing of a native Australian plant called Christmas Bells.The detail in this drawing is so delicate and beautifully shaded. The touch of color is very striking in contrast to the graphite. Lovely!

AnnaWarren_Open Page

Karen Bailey is next with a stunning colored pencil and pen drawing of a squash blossom. There is so much playfulness in her work. I’m always amazed at her blending of colors and accents of black lines throughout the drawings.

KarenBailey_open page

Now on to Cathe Jacobi’s light and fun Peony blossoms. I always enjoy how Cathe uses additional lines to frame in her work, but have the petals and leaves overflow the lines.

CatheJacobi_Open Page

On to my crazy Christmas Cactus blooms jutting out from the sides of the pages.

GaleEverett_open page

Last drawings, the group spread. There is a surprise under Cathe’s Peony petals… but that’s for Anna to discover!

AnnaWarren_Group page

And the final written section…

AnnaWarren_Back Page

A huge thank you to Anna for starting this sketchbook journey. It was an honor to be part of a collaboration with such incredibly talented artists! Everyone has been so supportive of one another’s work and life. I hope we can continue forward with this friendship and sharing of art!

Relearning printing

waiting for breakfast_GaleEverettStudio
“Waiting for Breakfast”, drypoint, 4″ x 6″, 2016

Whew! The print is finally finished with an edition of 15. This was certainly a relearning experience that I won’t soon forget. I managed to create 14 prints before I realized I needed to be polishing the negative space around the dog in order to achieve a clean print. Why it took me that long, I have no clue except it’s just been so long since the last etching/drypoint. Friday was spent creating the new “clean” edition. It surprised me how much I’d forgotten about general printing practices over the years. One thing that amazed me was how wonderful the inking/wiping/printing stage can be. So much focus on the plate, looking for how much ink has been removed via scrim/newsprint/paper towels. Getting things just right before hitting the plate with a soft cotton rag and cotton tipped swabs. I became totally absorbed in the process and worked through lunch. The additional plate clean allowed the remainder of the tan paper to be successfully used, along with some white. Hopefully others enjoy the image of Hazel and she can make a few trips around the world with the exhibit.  She certainly wouldn’t travel the distances in real life! I think Moby is a tad put out by her entering the art model world after only 2 months of living with us. I can see more drypoint dog images to come!

Bed dog_galeeverett

Waiting For Breakfast

Waiting for breakfast_GaleEverettStudio

Halfway through the edition I realized that the recycled print paper is changing how the image comes out. I chose to tear apart old test proofs from an India series of screen prints from university days. The backs are beautiful and pretty clean, unfortunately  I can tell where the screen print starts and stops on the flip side. This is a pattern that I’m not liking since it is dramatically changing the plate tone in the background. I want it clean  not filled with crazy patchy toned zones! Its bad enough that I don’t want them leaving the house with my name on it. The current title is “waiting for breakfast”, since Ms Hazel happened to be in the kitchen when I took the photo used to aid the drawing. It might change to “Patience” or “Focused”.

I’m ok with the general image for now. I do see issues but they just need to be there for now. The edition needs to be completed and sent off on Saturday.  I’m pulling out scrap white paper and will be running the remaining edition on that (and possibly reprinting the first 7).

Drypoint on copper, oil based ink

Cairn Terrier

Slow progress forward

hazel_stage3_galeeverett

Little Ms Hazel is coming near the end. A few more areas to darken & a bit more definition in others. My big quandary is whether to add a dog dish or not. Since I’m feeling lazy, I probably won’t add it it, but a bit more ground work is likely so she’s sitting on something. I hate it when critters look like they’re floating. A final ink color to decide as well….

The plate wiping is really the biggest thing to work through. It’s difficult to keep thin ink lodged in light scratches. I’ll try another paper brand to see if softer paper can pull the image out better. Thanks for the suggestion Carol! And a big thanks to Rosie for the ink suggestion too. It’s great to have so many printmaking friends!

Thursday I’ll be running the edition whether hell or high water! Fingers crossed!

This print is destined for the Leftovers Print Exchange organized by Amy  Nack in Boise Idaho. For more information click here: Wingtip Press and Leftovers.

 

Pulling out the apron

first proof_hazel_galeeverett

This morning the print space was reconfigured for actual work. The inking slab cleaned of a thick dust layer, press blankets pulled out of storage and arranged in correct order, and the press uncovered and dusted. Ink had to be pulled from bins and opened. Paper scraps located and torn into test size (this is a leftovers print and I have plenty of small scraps just for this occasion!). Scrim/Tarlatan, phone books, wiping scraps, rubber gloves, scroungy print apron and a variety of other things found. I forget how much is involved in creating a print!

The above test is using a burnt sienna & black ink mixed on Somerset paper. I need to refresh my brain on how best to wipe a plate, more pressure, possibly a bit of plate oil to loosen things up. So many techniques that have been lost from my brain over the years of inactivity. It will come back as I continue to work the image!

drypoint on copper, 4″x 6″, oil based ink

 

 

 

Final Page

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Holy cow! It’s finally done! All it took was letting go of fears and playing with color. Above, I’ve posted the slideshow of progress, from tentative drawing to finished page. I love watching how work develops over time. From a rather bland image to one that has a bit more depth and structure. Well, at least certain areas seem to feel pretty good in my brain. I certainly didn’t think it would turn out quite this well.

I’ll be spending the remainder of the day finishing up the interior spread. A few more leaf chains and then it should be ready for final documentation and the back page write up.

It fills me with joy to finally be so close to moving this book back to it’s creator, Anna Warren. For those who have forgotten or didn’t know about this international sketchbook project, it was started by Anna and involved two others, Karen Bailey & Cathe Jacobi. Each artist created a book, themed it, worked on pages and then passed it on to the next. This is the last book to be finished and it will head back to Australia by Saturday.

check the websites below to see work by the 3 other artists.

Anna Warren

Karen Bailey

Cathe Jacobi

 

Dried

dry

The final page in Anna’s book is progressing. You can see just a tad of Cathe’s image to the right. The subject I chose was the stages of a Christmas Cactus(Schlumbergera) flower. This, the final page, holds a dried/shriveled flower. I stared out using colored pencils and shifted rapidly to watercolors. We shall see how it all turns out.

I was surprised at how intricate the flower becomes once dried. So much detail shows through the dried petals! It was this detail  that stopped movement forward on the project. I couldn’t “dumb things down” in my brain and allow a looser flowing drawing. Somehow I managed to let go and take baby steps forward.  Maybe in another day it will be finished!