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

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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.

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.

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"