Sandy Claws

 Sandy Claws with a pack on his back.

 To go with my little octopus with starfish and jelly balloon

Sandy Claws is up above the waves, perhaps on a beach.  Not sure of the composition yet.  Or he's on some rocks under he waves? 

 

Oh, so many crabs and hermit crabs (with shells on their back).  I'm putting them mostly in Undersea on Pinterest, but some in Dogs & Cats & Friends.

 

This poor little baby octo has been languishing for a decade (at least!).  Never quite clicking.  But this might be what it needs.  And I really like Sandy Claws w/ a pack on his back!  May contoured like a shell, but toy sack-like. 

Michi Prints

Pasteling and signing and labeling Michi prints. 

 

Silver and red prints.

Silver ones (Tina, me); red one (Will & Julie); fuchsia one (for Lin).  May color up a couple more.  Try rust red & copper maybe.  

Awaiting mailing boxes from Uline. 

 

 

Silver one, on the mantel.

 

 

Fuchsia one, awaiting (gold) color on sabertooth, moth, mousey.

 

Michi in Ocher

 

Needs a bit more carving.  I can work on that while the print dries before I can add pan-pastels.

Also I want to print it in black and compare the two processes. 

Michi Reclining

Michi reclining with mousey, or Draw me like one of your French cats, or...

Carving now.

 

Sketches ~ Crows

Sketches from Pinterest board ~ Dogs & Cats & Friends

Crows

Chimera Musings

 Shoebill stork & cat ~ variation on the raven and tabby cat.  Also bat and cat ~ bats can be drawn like kewt little mice.

Cherry Tree Lino Series

Googling and Pinterest ink cherry tree art (mostly Japanese), and getting an idea of techniques.

 

Lots to choose from.

 

Ironically still haven't found the image that first inspired me to carve the cherry tree.  It was a reduction print and I want to find it.

This is the image I think I'll start with.

 

Mostly blossoms, with the deer in the corner.

I'll probably give the blossoms more of a sweep toward the deer.

I think my tree is a weeping cherry blossom tree.  Looks like pics of it anyway.

 

 

Weeping cherry blossom trees.

 

Linogravure ~ I like it

I like the term linogravure.  It's french for linocut prints, but it's reminiscent of photogravure. 

 

I'm planning out some printing projects.  I'm going to be working in linocut.

One series is the cherry tree in its various twisty forms and denizens.  Fox, deer, barn (ok, not a denizen, but a recurring motif).

 

Some as reduction prints, especially if I want to play with the green (lichen) and pink (blossoms) combination.

 

Other subjects:  my cryptids, like my chimera cat-bird critters.

Probably better suited to bw with color added.

 

Air Kraken Progress Pics

 

 

carving one

 

 

printing one

 

 

carving two

 

 

printing two 

carving three

printing three

 

 

finished block

 

finished print

Xmas21 ~ Smiling Signy

 

             Smiling Signy

Jeane gave me the idea, calling this pic "When what to my wondering eyes should appear..."  I like that!

I can suggest the xmas tree behind her, with twinkling lights (blurred color?).

Maybe make her eyes even shinier. 

It's the way I'm thinking right now, but I think I like it enough to start doodling.

xmas card ideas 2021

 

Just from us this time.  No more SH xmas cards.  So the field is wide open.

I'm looking at simplified graphical lino images.  Color blocks or color bw print.

How many to send out?  Maybe I can print them myself?  Probably too many for that, close to 50-ish.

I like the expression of the bear, but not necessarily the bird.  A scarf? Xmas tree in the background?  Ooh, or a polar bear ~ NPB maybe.

 

I like the background framing the image.  Can be xmassy.  The color is nice too.

I can see Signy in the chair, a la Freya on the couch.  Simple colors, maybe not so dark.

 

Ha ha ha!  I can see this as Signy.  Or a sheep.  Love the expression.

Any sheep.  Maybe Clover.

 

Graphical designs for sheep in field.  Interesting.

Something with Clover.  Baa-Humbug?

 

Or Baa Baa.

Another Sheep.

 

Mouse in rocking chair, variations on a theme, in front of the tree, fireplace, etc.
 

Kewt boxer face with Signy's markings.  Xmassy.  Maybe a smiley face like the xmas card with Signy from a few years ago.

 Smiley face Signy with lolling tongue.

 

 Head tilt.  8-]

******

Three favorite ideas so far are:

The head tilt smiley Signy with ornament of Xmas tree or some such.

A mouse in an xmassy cocoa cup.

Oh, and a mouse sitting in a chair in front of the tree ~ titled “not even a mouse.”

******

from blogpost to Jeane:

Still poking around with xmas ideas.  Yes, something like Signy's goofy smile would be nice.  I wonder what ornament she'd have.  If it's an old favorite, that might be one of my woven angels...No, Signy! could be the title.  ;->  She'll need twinkling eyes.

 

*******

Ordered Cards ~ SH & Shipley

 

We did battle with Vistaprint and were victorious.  Here is the card that is going out.  8-]

Printing

 

Printing now.  After it dries I'll add pastel.

I don't want it to come in too far on the sides, so I've decided to use Bill's trick of adding sky that he used on the first SH xmas card where he invented some more top branches on the tree.

More Carving

 

Carved some lines deeper.
 

Faux print.  Looks pretty good.

Time to make an actual test print and move on from there.
 

Carvity-Carve

 

Basically done carving.  Time for a test print.

Faux print first.

3magi Carve

Carvity-carve.

Faux print so far.

More carvity-carve.

Another faux print.