Projects update and Nibblefest for May

I started carving an image of a vintage ink brayer on a woodblock when I was struck down by a nasty infection.  This is as far as I got but now that my energy is starting to come back and I've finished posting my entries for May Nibblefest Art Contest, I can pick this back up and finish it and maybe even print some proofs before month's end...

May 2015 Nibblefest Entries

Theme: Freak Show

I've decided to try and tie my nibblefest entries to tarot cards that fit within the theme.  I will try to do two ACEOs and one large painting using the substrates that I made by laminating layers packing.

  

Strength: an original ACEO created using Inktense watercolor pencils and sharpie markers (right). It's inspired by a vintage circus poster and the major arcana tarot card Strength. Click the following link to go to the ebay listing: 

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/231568592431?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

The Eight of Swords original ACEO created using Inktense watercolor pencils and sharpie markers (right). It's inspired by the tarot card and a vintage circus photograph. Click the following link to go to the ebay auction listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231568589429?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

The Magician is an original 7.5" x 10.5" acrylic painting on upcycled food packaging (right). It's inspired by a vintage circus poster and the Major Arcana tarot card the Magician and the Aces... Click the following link to go to the ebay auction listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231568572469?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

April Nibblefest Entries; theme was Space, Planets, Stars

 

Image on the left is The Star ACEO (2.5" x 3.5") miniature acrylic painting on 4 layers of re-purposed food packaging laminated and sealed with gesso.  The image on the right is the traditional tarot card that inspired it.

 

 Image on the left is The Moon ACEO (2.5" x 3.5") miniature acrylic painting on 4 layers of re-purposed food packaging laminated and sealed with gesso.  The image on the right is the traditional tarot card that inspired it.

 

Image on the left is The Sun 7.5" x 10" acrylic painting on 4 layers of re-purposed food packaging laminated and sealed with gesso.  The image on the right is the traditional tarot card that inspired it.

Upcycling Cereal Boxes and Other Food Packaging

One of my projects was to trim various food packages that I've been saving laminate 3-4 layers of same sized pieces together with gesso.  I did this to create illustration board like substrates for small acrylic paintings. Tea boxes I trimmed to ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5") then laminated three layers thick. Cereal boxes I laminated three thick. Acrylic paint, gesso and medium neutral the ph of papers they're applied to; making archival substrates of cheap materials! 

Fun Printmaking Day at a Friends

Fun Day of Playing at a Friends Press

Click images to enlarge, use your browser's back button to return to this blog.

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.

Zen 5

Zen V
30" x 40" acrylic painting on stretched canvas

This is the painting I did last night at the "Alley Arts Festival." I will be doing a Zen paintinge every 2nd Saturday at the "Alley Arts Festival" until September. In Sacramento the 2nd Saturday of each month is when the local art galleries have their public receptions. "Alley Arts" will have artists booths, music and a beer garden during the warm spring and summer months. In the winter it will be something else, somewhere else. I like the ambiance of this venue and it is soooooo awesome painting to live music!!!!

This is a scan of the 0.5" x 1.5" piece of Zen I pulled from the Zen Jar for last night's painting. As you can see I squashed it to fit within the dimensions of the canvas. I did have quite the audience while I was painting this. The best compliment came from a little boy who excitedly returned again and again and said "this makes me want to paint!" The second best compliment came from a guy who said, "I don't even like abstract but this makes me want to lie in bed and look at it hanging on my wall."

Ignorance
10 x 15" 3 color woodcut printed with acrylic paint on Japanese calligraphy paper.

Ignorance
it enslaves
it victimizes
it is without voice
it is without vision

Sold one of the above prints last night too. Woo Hoo!!! Thank you Brandon!

It was a totally fun night last night and I so look forward to more painting fun each month at the Alley Arts Festival in downtown Sacramento. My friend and mentor Rachel Stonecipher brought iced tea and kept me company while I painted. My awesome hubby Jeff helped me break down and pack up (that easy pop-up canopy aint so easy [especially for a shorty like me]). And the latin jazz really grooved! I told Jeff that I was going to have to hire a band every week to paint too...

Thank you Kevin Santos-Coy for organizing this totally cool publicly accessible arts venue!

The 4 Finals

Completed all four paintings for finals in my "Composition in Abstract Painting" class.

Still Life with Japanese Doll

Diana with Friend

La Luna

La Luna Zen

The Reference Photo for "Still Life With Japanese Doll"













The reference photo for "Diana and Friend." Photo by Karin Jurick






Reference photo for "La Luna" taken by hubby Merlyn J. Camp










Scan of .5" x 1.5" inch section of an 18x24" drip painting used to create "La Luna Zen"