nature, pets, art and life
The two old friends are really starting to show their stuff. There are some mistakes here and there, but I don’t think the average person will notice them. Glenn’s thumb became a tad lost in the screen filler. I can tell when I’m really off by the sides of Glenn’s glasses or Julie’s teeth. The white should be showing, but some are getting occluded. I’ll just have to settle for a smaller edition!
Three colors to go!
After several days of interruptions, I managed to carve out a bit of time Sunday afternoon for printing color 3 on Julie & Glenn.
Since this is a larger image and more complex, it takes quite a while to block in with screen filler. I judge time by how many CD’s I go through. This took me close to 2 so about 1hr 40min. Registration on this one is a bit more difficult. The longer width of paper is causing more issues because I wasn’t as precise with the very first color. Also, I neglected to provide enough tape support for the full paper width. Next time I’ll know better.
4 colors to go. I’m thinking of calling this image “Old Friends”. Kind of corny, but true.
🙂
On Saturday and email popped up from an art friend Amy Nack of WingTip Press in Boise ID, regarding an upcoming workshop. The teacher is a fabulous artist I’ve been blog following for the past several years. Yes, Rose Davies, aka Rosie Scribblah is coming within 500 miles of me to teach a drawing/printmaking workshop. I have to go!
Now I need to figure out how to save some bucks on lodging for 7 nights… that might be a squeeze. Too bad the weather isn’t better or I would drag out the tent and camping gear! Early May is just not the time for that yet.
🙂
Having an 80 lb dog trying to snuggle while writing is a bit impossible! But here we go.
I managed to pull one color today. I hoped for more but other issues popped up (trust related & renter stuff that’s really icky compared to getting art done). The dog agrees with this too. An apology to Glenn for misspelling his name, it’s 2 N’s not one. Thanks Lois for pointing it out! I always seem to forget that one. 🙂
The first image below is today’s ink on white paper. This gives me the basic info for what will be printing over the yellow. You can really see Julie’s face!
Now the same ink applied to the print.
It’s looking a bit dark, but I think it will work. It has to since I’ve run all the sheets of paper! I’m thinking I just might block out Glenn’s shirt and cause it to shift in color, returning to it after working through Julie & the skin tones. Something to contemplate for Sunday. Yes, that will be the next print day. More Trust errands tomorrow and Saturday. Yuck!
Now Nigel has taken the lap. Geez! I can’t sit anywhere without some critter pestering me! No wonder I’ve been picking hair out of wet ink and blowing it off the screen! It must be a sign that it’s dinner time.
😀
It felt great to finish yet another print yesterday. With technically 10 done, there are two left to start. This morning I went through dog images waiting in the queue. My sister-in-law Lois, has had some great dogs in their house over the years. Recently they lost Julie, a wonderful old yellow lab. Lois keeps putting in a plug every so often for wanting an image of Julie created. I always enjoyed visiting the old girl because she was so darn sweet. A month ago, Lois passed along a new image that struck me as very worthy. Julie happens to be sitting looking up at “Grandpa Glen”, Lois’s dad. Glen and his wife are both in poor health at the moment and Lois has her hands full. Oh, the joys of hospitals, rehab, etc. with elderly parents. This will be a nice gift as their households go through some major transitions. Below is the start of Julie & Glen.
The blocked out screen. Image size is 10″ x 6.5″
Color 1 down
I typically don’t work with the human form, well, not since school. Every once in a while I do some figure sketches, but nothing recently. There is such a special relationship between dogs and people that would be nice to capture. Maybe this is the start of a different series…. hmmm. I’ve started looking for more images in my files to consider for future prints or drawings. I’m looking forward to seeing how these two friends join together in this print.
Whew! The past 4 days have been filled with one print and I think I can proclaim it finished. One more checked off the list of 12.
Here are the final 3 colors.
So close!
And the finished image…
This finished image is 6″x6″. 8 colors total (including the white of the paper). Rives BFK off-white paper.
Eventually I’ll take a decent shot of it for the records. Now it’s time for clean-up and sorting out what needs to be done to complete the Moby/chair image. Plus there are 2 more images to figure out and get rolling on…. 2 more in the works to complete. My delivery deadline is April 29!
Monday was a good printing day. I managed to pop out 3 colors on the new Moby Lick image. Sunday I started with pink. Monday started with a peachy/burnt orange color then moved to reddish brown and finally a chocolate brown.
Peachy burnt orange over pink.
Next color (reddish brown)
Final color today.
So far, I’m kind of liking it. The last color had a tad too much blue which will prove challenging. Hopefully I can pull his eyes out of the dark cause they slipped through the ranks. Oh dear!
With a little luck, I’ll get it completed by Wednesday or it will end as a triumphant failure!
Friday afternoon I decided to start yet another screen print of Moby. I’ve been hesitant to start due to the unresolved problems surrounding the last image (still in the works). What a great opportunity to try a new batch of extender uncovered from my dad’s studio. The label says it’s Speedball Extender, but it might actually be wallpaper glue. Yes, it does make great extender according to my old instructor and it costs less. Anyway, it will give me a better idea what to expect when I get back to the “dog n chair” image.
Here’s what I’ll be working from, cropping the focus onto the face.
Here’s the first block-out of the screen. I’m back using the yellow screens after enormous amounts of increased water pressure and vigorous scrubbing from both sides simultaneously. Seemed to finally get the last stubborn bits out. Speedball screen filler is the block-out.
Since today is Easter, I thought starting in pink might be fun. Plus it will be perfect for his tongue start.
I have to admit the new extender worked wonders! Looking forward to applying the next color. 🙂
Thanks for taking a look!
Finished image will be 6″x6″
We had some beautiful weather while staying in Yachats for 5 days. On Saturday, we connected up with our friend Alex who lives about 12 miles north of us. Since the weather was so good, truly amazing for this time of the year, we were treated to a little flight time. Grey whales are heading north and we hoped to see a few. Four miles north of Yachats is Wakonda Beach Airport (a small grass strip inland a bit from the ocean). Alex flew down from Newport to meet us there.
Dave had the honor of going first. Alex is on the left, Dave right. Moby and I hit the beach for 45 min during their flight.
Alex’s yellow Citabria.
On Dave’s flight, they headed south in search of whales. They passed by Cape Perpetua.
California Sealions basking outside Sealion Caves. Kind of hard to pick out, but they are there.
Heceta Lighthouse.
North side of Heceta Head. You can just see the lighthouse popping up over the ridge.
Lily Lake just south of Heceta Head. The went as far as Florence to find a group of 3 Grey whales playing around. The photos Dave took unfortunately don’t show much except white water on the blue-green ocean, so I’m not posting them. Sorry Dave!
Yachats: Southern section of town. My family has one of the houses towards the upper section out of a tsunami wave zone (but not earthquakes).
Dave returned and now it’s my turn! A grass runway was excellent! We even had a cheering group at the end of the runway. I’m guessing there isn’t a lot of air traffic in and out of that strip.
Up in the air and gaining altitude. We cruised at 1600 ft.
We headed north for our whale search. Along the way we passed by Waldport, 4 miles north of the airport.
Seal Rock was next.
Newport and the mighty Yaquina River/Estuary.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Yaquina Light a little closer. This is an outstanding nature area with a great visitors center.
Farther north was Cape Foulweather.
Which bridge is it? It’s north of Cape Foulweather. Is it possibly the Rocky Creek bridge? Not certain. Part of the reason to put in the image is for the clear-cut forest behind. Pretty impressive swaths of trees cleared.
Alex took me up to Depoe Bay. We did manage to see one single whale in that area, but it was so far below it wasn’t worth taking images of. That whale was about 1.5 to 2 miles off shore.
So, we headed south again to Newport. Below is the jetty and the airport is just visible in the upper left corner of the image.
One of my favorite images, the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport.
Landing strip in sight!
A creek emptying out onto the beach.
A final curving sweep over the beach.
Yellow plane being tucked back into her hanger.
Thanks Alex for yet another great flight! The “WO” was most excellent!
😀
What a great way to start spring. For the past 18 years, I’ve celebrated our wedding date. One of my best art friends also celebrates her birthday. Happy Birthday Carol! Today is especially sweet for receiving the official email for a juried show entered last month. At first glance, blurry eyed and no coffee in the system, I thought I wasn’t accepted. Reading down farther I realized I was! I will have one work on display for the ArtWorks NW 2013 Juried show. Opening reception is May 10 and the closing is July 5.
My friend Kate McGee was selected as well for her pastel titled “Soggy”.
To see more of Kate’s great work please check her blog here.
Sticks, Stones, and Paper Stew Blog 