TPC Art Festival

Today was set-up day for the TPC Art Festival.  I had to get my three pieces in bright and early.  I'm not used to seeing the sun rise.  The morning fog hadn't burned off yet.  ;- j 

Everyone's super organized and I anticipate a good show.

Here's a shot of the display set-up.  The lobby is long and dark, but the display panels look like they'll have plenty of light.

There are 25 artists in all, and I believe I'm the only printmaker in the bunch.  For that matter, I think I'm the only printmaker in the Santa Clarita Art Associaton at the moment, but that will change eventually.  Afterall, College of the Canyons is still cranking out printmakers.  ;-]

I'll be doing a woodcut demo tomorrow afternoon.  I have a block that needs some cleaning up.  I've never been completely satisfied with how it prints.  Too many extranious woodblock marks.  That's what happens when I forget to leave a lip on the rim.

I find it hard to concentrate on carving when I'm doing a demo, so I need something that doesn't take much thinking.  Yggdrasil qualifies.

Paleo-Seahorse Print

My pinto-patterned paleo-seahorse, printed at last.

I like the colors, yellow ochre and burnt sienna.  The darker color accent is tapped on with the tiniest little hanga brush, rather like a stencil brush.

I can see where I could carve a little more around darker elements, a la white line printmaking, but I'd really like to be done with this block for awhile.

The watersoluable inks are so dry in this beastly heat.  I'm continually adding water to the ink between prints.  The Pacific Northwest begins to look really attractive for its continual humidity.  ;- j  It's almost enough to drive me back to oil based inks.  At least they stay workable through a whole print run.

Oh well, just something else to work around.

Two-tone Paleo-Seahorses

Ok, so I printed up some paleo-seahorses today.  First I've printed since I recarved the block.  I like this a lot better.  Now I can forget about it for awhile.  It's been haunting me to get it printed.

I did the first print (upper right in this shot) in yellow ochre with burnt sienna tapped in.  Need to order more yellow ochre, so for the other three I mixed yellow and burnt sienna for the base color, with burnt sienna tapped in.  I think I did a pretty good job of matching.

Now I can move on to something else.  Anything else.  ;-j

Robo-Spam?

Does anyone know what to do about these strange comments I keep getting?  Are these robo-responses or something?  I run them thru http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ and usually get garbage back, so I don't think there's an actual person on the other end.

賢林 said...



如果相遇.你會感到相知.那麼.有一種習慣叫做陪伴;如果陪伴.你會感到珍惜.那麼.有一種甜蜜叫做存在!..................................................................


Translation:

Virtuous forest said… If meets. You will feel the dear friend. Then. One custom named accompanies; If accompanies. You will feel treasure. Then. One kind of happy named existence! ..................................................................

Any suggestions?

A Summer Art Festival

The Santa Clarita Artists' Association is having A Summer Art Festival at the Tournament Players Club of Valencia, CA.  I will have some woodcuts in the show, July 27-30, 8am to 6pm, with an Artists' Reception on Sunday, July 30, 5pm to 7pm.

I'm starting to branch out and enter more shows.  I hope you can make it if you are in the area.  8-]

Westercon

I had some pieces in the Westercon 63 Art Show over the Fourth of July Weekend in Pasadena, CA.  First time I've showed at Westercon and I didn't know what to expect.  It was a small show and sadly had a terrible traffic pattern (stuck off in an isolated hallway in the hotel with no signage).

In spite of that I managed to sell a piece, Be It Known To All..., a black and white woodcut of an early period printer.

It was bought by an early period enthusiast, so I'm pleased it went to a good home.

I followed a bit of advice from Maria Arango's excellent book, Art Festival Guide, and rematted and framed a few of my pieces to show them to better effect.  I think my display was much improved.  It's a learning process.

The bidding sheets are a necessary evil that can't be helped.  I did make a little handmade sign explaining my Paleo-Mythos themed woodcuts, which I added later.  I'll make something more permanent for the next time.

All in all a positive experience.