I’ll eat you up, I love you so!

Before I started the Dirty Dozen Project I made a prior commitment to create a print for the Adrian High School alumni art auction.  This will be auctioned off at the Chocopalooza Festival at Adrian High School this Saturday, February 6th.

This print will never be sold since I do not have permission from Mr. Sendak (Where the Wild Things are).  His book was my favorite as a child.  So, I will donate one to AHS and I also plan to donate one to the Circle of Art in Saline, MI to benefit the Food Gatherers.

Blue Damselfly Lotus Autodesk Sketch I

I finally got a chance to play around with color schemes this morning using my Autodesk Sketch software.  I have mixed feelings about using the computer to do this.  I find it a lot easier to manipulate color using watercolor than with this software.  And, if I’m creating “handmade” goods, does too much computer use “taint” a handmade piece?  Yesterday I got a chance to see the “Storybook Stars” exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art.  Illustrators from the past 50 years were represented.  Many of them continue to use tracing paper, charcoal, pen/ink, watercolor and gauche.  They are true masters of illustration.  But, there are many masters of digital illustration as well.  I know a few of them personally.  To answer my own question, I don’t think computers “taint” or should even be associated in a negative way.  What’s more important is the freedom of the artist.  I don’t think I should be constrained by my feelings.  I love making things by hand, but I shouldn’t be afraid to hop the fence to sample what’s on the other side.

Blue Damselfly Lotus Flower Sketch

I’m still tweaking this but it’s close.  I decided to go more deco than detail on this one.  To get this far I used a combination of tricks.  The original sketch was very loosely drawn in my sketchbook.  In order to get the top radius just right I drew that with my CAD software.  I also did the lily pad ellipse in CAD.  Then I sketched in the flower and the base.  I placed vellum over that and redrew the entire image, except I enlarged the fly and added double lines.  In order to get an exact mirror image of the fly I folded over the vellum and traced the reverse image of the fly on the right.  I put the circle in last and noticed it’s not symmetrical.  So that’s what I’m fixing tomorrow.  Then I’ll scan the image and open it with Autodesk Sketch to play with some color schemes.  My goal is to complete this sketch by Friday so I can start cutting this weekend.  I’ll be using carbon paper to transfer this image to my block.

Blue Damselfly Sketches

The Blue Damselfly is one of my favorite nymph patterns when fishing Devils Lake.  I don’t know who invented the nymph pattern in this sketch, but it’s the one I use to take Crappies one after another in the Spring.

Process:  Made a few sketches on my lunch break.  Scanned them.  Emailed them home.  Get home from work.  Open a bottle of Pentamere Wine called Fireside.  Pour myself a glass.  Hop on the computer while dinner is cooking.  Open the scanned jpg image in Autodesk Sketch.  Add color.  Save.  Upload to blog.

Black Ant on newsprint, Dirty Dozen No. 2

Black Ant:  No 2 in the Dirty Dozen project.

Black Ant was an experiment using a Dremel Tool on Shina plywood.  This may be the fastest I’ve ever gone from a bare wood to a finished print.  I spent more time looking for a missing Dremel chuck than I did making this.  I dont think I would call this a successful experiment.  I believe the shina is a bit too soft for a a dremel, but maybe that’s just inexperience speaking?   On the plus side the dremel definitely allowed me to loosen up.  It also helped capture the look of fur, which was one of my goals.  If I were to do this fly again.  I think it might be a good idea to use both traditional tools and the dremel.  But, that will have to be done some other time.  Dirty Dozen fly no. 3 is calling.

Cold Therapy on Devils Lake

What possesses a person to spend all day on a frozen lake?  For me it’s the thought of pulling in a Northern Pike by hand.  I don’t fish for perch, crappie or gills through the ice.  I put out a few tip-ups and kick back.  My nephew Garrett joined me this weekend.  He brought his girlfriend who has never been ice fishing before.  I wanted to show her a Pike badly.  When a flag finally went up I was happy for me, but also happy that Lacie would get to see a Pike.  But, fishing trips don’t always end happily.  I lost the Pike when bringing him in.  Actually, I think when he bolted for the weeds the line tangled and probably ripped the minnow out before I even had a chance to set the hook. When I did set the hook it felt like a snag, and not that noticable throb that you feel when you hook a Pike.  I’ll add another chapter to my book titled, “The one that got Away”.  It’s good cold therapy anyway.  My house doesn’t feel cold anymore.  It feels comfortably warm, and I know I’ll sleep good tonight.

Black Ants

I sketched out a few ants on my lunch break today.  A black ant is easy to draw, but printing a black ant may not be so easy.  I think the easiest way is to make a simplified two dimensional rendition similar to my “Caja de Mosca” print.  But, that’s not what I had in mind for this fly.  I’m going to attempt some techniques that I rarely use.  It’s Dremel tool time!  You gotta love using power tools to make art.

The Dirty Dozen – Pheasant Tail, unpainted

One down…eleven to go.  This is the first print of the Dirty Dozen project.  The DD project is about making one print every 12 days until I make 12 prints.  The subjects are my favorite flies.  This one is a Pheasant Tail Nymph.  After this spends a week or so drying it will get painted with watercolor.  While this guy is on the hanger, I’ll start working on sketches for the next fly.  What’s it going to be???? Honestly I’m not sure.  I have my Dirty Dozen flies picked out, but I’m not sure which one to do next.  I’ll think about it tomorrow when I’m tying flies with friends.

Technical Stuff:

Paper-Rives BFK

Ink- Akua Color

Wood- Shina plywood

Tools-  Flexcut and Namisei

Press-  Richeson Baby Press

The wood was treated with Elmers Carpenter Glue (PVA) and sanded prior to cutting.  I’ve been experimenting with PVA and Shellac.  The glue method is definitely easier.  And, I think it may have worked better as far as clean up.  I’m still experiencing a lot of chipping with the Shina plywood.  Since I have very few pieces left I’m not too concerned.  I intend to buy some thicker plywood and some Cherry.  I’m really curious how the Cherry will cut.  I’ve yet to cut into solid wood.  If you asked me how I feel about this print I probably wouldnt say much.  It’s definitely a “just do it” print.  I could have spent more time working on the composition.  I could have been more careful with cutting.  But, I didn’t.  Which is why this print fits the theme perfectly.  It’s a down and dirty print.  Eleven more to go.

Pheasant Tail Photo Reference

K and I purchased a new Canon Powershot SD1200 IS the other day.  I thought I would experiment with it a little bit this morning by creating a photo reference for my Pheasant Tail woodblock print.  So I pulled out a Pheasant Tail from my fly tying box and picked out a Pheasant Tail nymph out of my flybox and shot this simple composition.  I positioned the fly by sticking the hook into the shaft of the feather.  I don’t think I can take credit for the fly because I’m not sure if I tied this one or not?  I may have purchased it from Gates AuSable Lodge in Grayling, MI or from the Little River Outfitters in Townsend, TN.  Those are the only two places I purchase flies if I don’t tie them myself.

You may be wondering how I’m going to use the photo for the woodblock?  There are several ways to transfer an image like this to a block of wood.  Using carbon paper for example is a popular method.  I have used it in the past but I wont need it for this.  This image is pretty straight forward.  And, I prefer to sketch directly on the block for most of the prints I make anyway.  This photo simply creates a blueprint for the direction of my cuts.  And, that’s about all I’ll use it for, besides using it here.

Pheasant Tail Quickie

Ok, I gave myself 12 days to make a Pheasant Tail woodcut.  I started this “Dirty Dozen” project on January 2nd.  That means I have 6 more days left.  I have about 3 or 4 pages of doodles.  I decided I better pick a doodle and start cutting by tomorrow.  This is the doodle I chose (right).  It’s basically a Pheasant Tail Nymph on a Pheasant Tail feather.  I know…not very creative, BUT I’m going with it.  I’ve got a deadline to meet.  AND honestly….we’re getting our first good snow of the year now and I’m dying to get out to do some cross-country skiing.  AND…I also thought about going ice fishing this weekend…ha!  Soooo, this is it.  It shouldnt take long to cut on a 4×6 piece of shina plywood.  I should be able to print this with no problems in the next 6 days…..unless the Pike are really active…and then all bets are off.