Nibblefest Art Contest Theme Books

This month's Nibblefest Art Contest theme is Books.  I've listed 3 items... some of my hand made one page wonder books.

   
A Little Book of Zen, the catalog for one of my exhibits of artworks created by the universe... book is made from one sheet of folded fine art paper that was giclee printed using epson fine art inks.

 
Flocked Butterflies, a set of 3 little sketch books. Insert made from single sheets of accordion folded fine art paper.

Flocked Flourishes, a set of 3 little sketch books. Insert made from one sheet of folded fine art paper.



All of these books are part of the monthly Nibblefest challenge on ebay.  In this theme based contest artists list up to three artworks (at least one of which must be an original) with a starting bid of 99 cents.  You can see lots and lots of great artworks by searching "NFAC" on ebay.  You're sure to see something you love and can afford!!!

Nibblefest Art Theme for March "Nursery Rhymes"

"Little Miss Muffet" ACEO printout of a digital collage preliminary sketch used to map out an ACEO paper collage of the same title.  Available at ebay until 3/27/13.

Little Miss Muffet - Original Digital Collage ACEO - March NFAC

 I like to participate in art challenges.  Themed challenges keep my art mind stimulated by challenging it to conceptualize.  

"Little Miss Muffet" an original ACEO mixed media collage created for the monthly Nibblefest challenge.

Available at ebay until 3/27/13:

Little Miss Muffet Original Mixed Media Collage ACEO for March NFAC

One of the themed challenges I regularly participate in is the monthly Nibblefest challenge; a collection of artists who put the themed artworks created for the challenge on ebay for auction with a starting bid of just 99 cents.  This month's theme is Nursery Rhymes.

 Front cover of "Mother Goose" a tiny 32 page book of illustrated nursery rhymes made from one sheet of 8.5x11" jet printed bond paper.  Available on ebay until 3/27/13

Mother Goose - A Teeny Tiny Book of Nursery Rhymes - March NFAC by Phare-Camp

For this month's challenge I did a digital collage then created a mixed media paper collage based on the digital composition.  Both the digital and paper collages are posted in ebay for the Nibblefest challenge.  But I also have the digital files of a little "one page wonder" book I created of nursery rhymes.  Which of course fits right in with the challenge.

 Inside "Mother Goose before its been folded cut and assembled into an itty bitty 1.5" x 2.25" book of nursery rhymes.

Mother Goose - A Teeny Tiny Book of Nursery Rhymes - March NFAC by Phare-Camp

 Fun With Color - Tiny 16 page Handmade Book by Phare-Camp

Available at ebay until 3/28/13.

I also included a few more works of art for auction with opening bid of 99 cents on ebay only during the Nibblefest  challenge.

Inside "Fun With Color" a digitally illustrated Book of color theory optical illusions inkjet printed onto onesheet of 8.5 x 11" paper, before it was folded cut and assembled into a tiny 2.75 x 2.75" book.

Tea Party - Digital Collage ACEO - by Phare-Camp 

available at ebay until 3/29/13

This is an original digital collage I developed as a preliminary sketch for an original woodcut print. The 2.5" x 3.5"size format is that of ACEO, or Artist Cards Editions and Originals. 

ACEOs are miniature works of art.  Wikipedia describes them as:

"An offshoot of artist trading cards are Art Cards, Editions and Originals (ACEOs), whichoriginated when some artists began to create cards to sell, in addition totrading among themselves. Many ACEOs are sold on internet auction sites, suchas eBay. As the term suggests, ACEOs may be small original works of art, oreditions of small prints."

Come Sail Away - Original Collage ACEO by Phare-Camp

Available at ebay until 3/28/13.

2.5 x 3.5 inch ACEO collage made using decorative and handmade papers. It was inspired by an IllustrationFriday.com challenge of "Sail." Signed and dated on the back. Sent inside an archival clear acetate art sleeve.

To see lots more artwork by lots more artists with opening bids of just 99 cents you can go to ebay and do a search of "NFAC" or you can just click the link below...

NibbleFest Art Contest:  http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=NFAC&_armrs=1&_from=R9&_ipg=&_dct=1&_rdc=1&_trksid=m194&ssPageName=STRK:MEFSRCHX:SRCH

Phenomenon: Rabbits Rabbits Everywhere Rabbits...

"It's just a rabbit" 8x8" mixed media collage on canvas panel

"Its Just a Rabbit" sketch for barenforum exchange print

"Its Just a Rabbit" kind of where I'm going with this but I'm not happy with the flourishes. still playing around with the composition. I intend to woodcut print this for an exchange with other artist and then use the keyline plate for my year of the rabbit new years cards. I'll split it into thirds and get three new years cards per pressing...

While cleaning up old files I came across this drawing that I based a woodcut print off of back in the early 1990s. I traced it to start a mixed media collage. Since this drawing is on tracing paper I'm thinking that it would be great to put into an encaustic painting. The transparencies of the paper and wax mediums will work together beautifully. I just have to get over to the art supply store and purchase a clayboard painting panel for my substrate.

"Beep Beep Ritchie!" 12x12" gallery wrapped canvas mixed media collage (in progress)
This is no where near done. This is simply a painted canvas with the cut papers collaged onto the surface. I've yet to got into it with sharpie markers to give it detail and I'm going to put some red hologram paper into the pupils. thinking of layering some more of the orange paper into the hair to give it some dimension and i will be using a dense acrylic medium in the teeth to make them appear to come out of mouth. May also work on the background a little more too.

Fun Printmaking Day at a Friends

Fun Day of Playing at a Friends Press

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Last Wednesday I had a fun day hanging out with fellow printmaker and friend Carrie Markel in her studio. She has a large press that she inherited from another friend, peer and Matrix member Char Sylvesri. The press was built by a shipmaker...remind me the next time to take my camera and shoot it.... I did the drawing above several months ago while in the throws of a fever. I didn't bring it with me but since the composition is uncomplicated I was able to work from memory in the following monoprints.

This was the first monoprint that I made. Unfortunately the paper slipped as I was registering. No biggy, I simply worked from the residual pigment to repaint the plexiglass printing plate and make following two...

This is the second one done using the residual pigment image as a matrix for this and the following print. I painted the background then used a q-tip and the tip of the paintbrush handle to remove paint for the skeleton and her reflection.

I really like the second image but felt that a little yellowing of the bones would help the skeleton pop from the violet background. As could be predicted the use of complimentary yellow theory was right on...

The images are approximately 15x22" on Rives BFK, one sheet of white and two sheets of brown. The medium is createx monoprint base mixed with createx pigment dispersions. Some of the line work was done by dipping Aquarell Watercolor Stix into the monoprint base then drawing onto the plate. The signature watermark does not appear on the original prints.

Upcoming Exhibit and the New Do

Gallery U20 exhibit opening reception this Saturday. Will be demonstrating printmaking at the site tomorrow June 10.

Before picture taken in April 2010 & After picture taken in June 2010

The ponytail I will be donating to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. Last time I did this was in 2008, that's about how long it took to grow it out long enough to cut for donation again. Pantene requires 8 inches I had Shellie at Streaks Studio cut off between 10-11". this left a chin length bob for her to work with for a cute pixie haircut. Now I look like the mom in 1950's sitcom -- I'm just grateful I don't look like I just turned 51!

Now What...

Did my final review for the MFA (master's in fine art degree) in December. The degree was awarded. I presented the following 8 cards and several recent derivative works.

Buzzed 36x48" Mixed Media Encaustic Painting (unfinished)

Calaca 2009 8.5x8.5" Collagraph Plate

Magus II 16x20" Mixed Media Encaustic Painting

Foolish Mandala 36x48" Mixed Media Acrylic Painting

this is by no means the end. I intended this project to be the beginning of a life work. Really -- there are 78 cards in a tarot deck, there is no way I could complete that in a year and a half! I do intend to complete 10 editions of 78 cards! In the next few month I plan to re-work the fool and the magus while I research and design the rest of the major arcana. I also plan to continue creating derivative works. And of course its time to start looking for my first teaching position...

And just to reassure you followers of this project -- the design for strength and a quicky sketch of my first visualization of the hermit...

lovers popes and strange fruit for exchange 42

The Pope Card has been editioned

I'm currently printing the Lovers edition. This is a proof. A proof is a test print pulled to make sure my registration is correct and checking to see if any changes need to be made to the plates before I print an edition.

I'm currently carving the Chariot Keyline block

Just finished designing the Strength Card. The next digital collage will be The Hermit.

Baren 42 exchange participants may not want to go beyond this point!

the linoleum cut moons

printing paper moons

printed paper moons

paper moon with paste placed on plexi

substrate place over paper moon

plexiglass with substrate and paper moon being run through an etching press; in a process called Chine Colle the moons will be fused to the substrate with great pressure.

paper moon fused to substrate

a plethera of chine colle paper moons drying

inking up the linoleum cut strange fruit plate

the freshly inked linoleum plate will be run through the etching press with the chine colle paper moon substrate atop it.

the linoleum plate with a freshly pulled print

Strange Fruit, size 3" x 9", mixed media relief print, edition: 38
The above is 3 prints out of an edition of 38 prints. This means that 38 prints were close enough to being exactly the same.