Blue-gray

Tags

art, carving, hand made, Wood

 

I started a new block the other day.  It feels great to get back into it.  I always say I should get more work done in the winter but the truth is I spent most of my time trying to stay warm.  I hope to finish this block today and print it tomorrow.  The title of this print will be “Blue-gray (Gnatcatcher) and Dogwood”.  It’s only 5″x7″ so the I have been using a knife to get into the tight spaces.  I plan to hand press the prints onto Japanese Paper.  The Japanese were very inspirational in the development of the design.  I have an reproduction of a Japanese woodcut in my bedroom that greets me every morning.  It seemed appropriate since my favorite thing to do on Saturday mornings is to listen to the birds outside my window.  I chose to depict the BG Gnatcatcher only because I don’t think it gets much attention during Spring migration.  It’s tiny, hard to see and shows up before the masses of warblers get here.

Clay Time

Tags

art, ceramics, Lenawee, Siena Heights University

Clay Time

Hepatica and Bufo, woodcut, 8×10

Tags

American Toad, art, Bufo americanus, Hepatica, mushroom, Tecumseh, woodland

Hepatica and Bufo, woodcut, 8×10, a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.

Hepatica and Bufo

Tags

art, Art in the Park, Bufo, Hepatica, Lenawee County, Michigan

Hepatica and Bufo, a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.

This is my latest woodcut for “Art in the Park”, a festival in Tecumseh, MI on June 8th and 9th. After this dries it will be hand painted with watercolor. I hand pressed this print using Akua intaglio ink on Japanese Shin-Torinoko paper.

“Aja di Awoha li”, three color reduction woodcut

Tags

art, Lenawee, Native American, Tecumseh, tribal

Aja di awoha li, a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.

This is the first print of a series inspired by Native Americans. I am not aiming to simply create decorative designs in the style of Native American art. My goal is to create a series of pictographs and ideograms based on Native American ideologies. This particular ideogram is a representation of harmony.

Pescado del Sol

Tags

art, fish, Lenawee County, Michigan, Sunfish

Pescado del Sol, 5×7 reduction linocut, a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.

5×7 Reduction Linocut.

Dos Gardenias

Tags

art, Cranefest, Gardenia, Scarlet Tanager

dos gardenias 1, a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.

Reduction woodcut, 6×8

This woodcut will be on sale starting October 13th at the Sandhill Crane and Art Festival near Marshall, MI.

 

The Cranium Element

Tags

art, Audubon, Baker Sanctuary, Birding, Birds, Cranefest, Sandhill Crane

The Cranium Element, a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.

Last year I participated in the Sandhill Crane and Art Festival near Marshal, MI. It was a last minute decision. They graciously accepted me and I had a great time. BUT…I did not have one piece of art that depicted a Sandhill Crane…..a lot of other birds but no Sandhills. So this year I made it a priority to have at least one block print depicting them. This reduction linocut will be for sale at this years event on October 13th and 14th. I hope to see you there.

For more information about the Sandhill Crane and Art Festival click here.

Blue Lake Raku and Reflection

Tags

art, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Pottery, Raku

Blue Lake no. 3 Raku, a photo by Goyo P on Flickr.

The sun was merciless. Students walked into my class like soldiers marching through the desert in search of some distant oasis. But instead of heading to the water cooler they picked up their tools and went to work….carving, printing, sweating, seeking, learning. For two weeks they came, they made art, they lit a creative fire and battled the heat. I taught them printmaking. They gave me happiness. Some people can live without art. I cannot. For two weeks I lived and breathed art 24/7 at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. There were no time clocks. Time was irrelevant. Passion was our fuel. As sweat dripped from our bodies we trudged on. As I reflect on the past two weeks I need some sort of symbol to remember Blue Lake. I need something to remind me of the best two weeks I’ve had in a long time. It had to be something that reminded me of the art, heat, kids, instructors and sitting on the Lake Michigan beach watching the stars and full moon. I found it in this raku pot. I’ve always wanted to learn how to throw pottery. My friends taught me. Thank you Ron, Kim, Jesse, Sandia and Chip. It’s my most prized possession.

Night Heron 2nd run

Tags

art, Birds, Great Blue Heron, Lenawee County, Michigan, moon, Tecumseh

I’ve been meaning to make a few more “Night Heron” prints for a long time.  I’m happy to say they are finally printed, dried and sleeved.  Uploading to Etsy will take place this weekend.