Moleskine finished

Last night I filled this little Moleskine sketchbook by doing 3 more spreads. This is the 4th one I have completed. I am down to one more empty one on my shelf. What is most interesting is I use to dislike them but lately I am thinking that they aren't so bad after all. This may be due to the fact I am choosing media that is better for the paper plus the size fits so nicely in my purse. Now that Christmas is on the way do I put this on my gift list of things others can buy for me or start binding some smaller sketchbooks for myself? The ones I make are usually larger and don't fit that well into my purses which are medium to small in size compared to the fashion norm of huge. The Moleskine sketchbook paper is closer to a slick cardstock which allows me to use up my old stash of water soluble crayons and gouache. This is a plus but they are far too expensive for what you get.

More important is the decision concerning the direction to take my art that I am facing now. I have decided to drop printmaking except for the occasional relief print. Now do I get more involved in art societies? Do I take the college sketching class 2 afternoons a week or go to the Tuesday indoor painting session with the Loudoun Sketch Club? Will the drawing class distract me from concentrating on watercolor or feed my creative fire? Ah, decisions, decisions.

more persimmons

I have become intrigued with these two persimmons. I had to try them in ink and gouache in my Moleskines. We ate one for breakfast so I don't think you will be seeing any more of these until next year.

goals being met

One of my 2009 goals was to put my work out there. I am starting to do that in a small way. I have one watercolor in my local watercolor club's fall show and another one going into a student show in December at the school/gallery where I took the watercolor class. Neither one was juried I just had to show up with a painting but it is a start.

persimons

This little sketch if from my watercolor paper sample book where I am trying out different manufactures' paper. This was painted across the gutter which used two different papers. Both are Lanaquarelle 140lb. The one on the right of the screen is cp and the left one is hp. The deepest orange used was my new Schminke color, Translucent Orange. I was sure if I liked it at first but now I do. It has greater transparency than cadmium orange. The persimons look a bit like orange strawberries here but these were more pointed than the flatter ones I am use to seeing.

more prints, no photos

I made 3 prints of Virginia Landscape #1 and one of the ripple plate. I didn't take the camera to the printmaking studio and the prints were not dry by the time I needed to leave, so no pictures today. I may go in on Friday if for no other reason than to bring them home.

rescued watercolor

Failed paintings always make lovely cards. I received a present and needed something a bit more special than the usual handmade cards I have on hand. So I pulled out the recent purple and green still life half sheet and gave it a new life in a thank you card. There's enough for more cards but they will have to wait to be created when I have more time.

Virginia landscapes combined

Today was one of those days that made me question why am I doing printmaking. While I was helping another student she splashed herself and me with the acid bath solution. Then the paper of my first print became wrinkled when it when through the press. Not sure why, even the acetate sheet template I had prepared was wrinkled. I was trying to mix the same dark olive green I had used two weeks ago; it looked right on the glass mixing pallet but it wasn't. I mixed it greener for each of the next 3 prints but it only got close to my goal on the fourth print. The 4th print didn't turn out because I used too much of the easy wipe modifier. One of the other printer (a beginning student) used a sheet of my Italian print paper unintentionally so I had to use her thinner BFK Rives. Then while cleaning one of the plates I dropped in and bent a corner.



Finally, I printed two other plates on my hmp. Neither one turned out well mainly because of the ink color. Now to figure out what to do to make the next session on Wednesday more productive. All over not a good day.

framing

Yesterday was spent framing and shrink wrapping finished works. It is fun to get back to showing my work in the art world. Last week I dropped off my first painting in a long time to a small local show at a winery. Not sure what show will be coming up next but I will have something already matted and framed ready to go. This works best for me instead of painting for a specific exhibit.

cold and Moleskine

I usually post every Wednesday after working in the printmaking studio. Not today, I have a cold and don't feel like doing much of anything so I stayed home. Since I got sick, I have pushed myself to drawing everyday. These are from my small Moleskine sketchbook that I keep in my purse.












Left from Halloween



































We are having a stonewall built around an old maple tree in the front yard to help with erosion.

fall leaves plate

Today was a busy day in the printmaking studio. I had a number of plates ready to print.


I used some of the paper I made this month for the print. On the first printing I inked the plate using cerulean blue. On the second printing I used a brown, wiped out the leaves and added a touch of yellow & gold just on them. Of course when you wipe the plate the colors mix. Then since the paper is damp from the first printing the colors mingle together. I did not wet the paper because it is so delicate but I laid two damp sheets of newsprint against the hmp.









On my second try I used red and brown over the cerulean blue. a different look.

Virginia landscapes

I printed these two on the backsides of an old failed print. It was nice to see what they would look like on good paper. I liked the dark olive green but the paper was a bit too dark. Cream would be a better choice for the final.

ripple plate with collagraphys

I used whatever ink I had leftover on the mixing plate to print these two collagraphys over the two ripple plate proofs I had on newsprint. These aren't the final colors I will choose but they gave me an idea of how the plates will print.

striped fabric still life

Striped fabric is not so easy to paint. I thought the stripes would help show the folds and they may if done correctly. The container on the left appears to be floating over a lump of fabric. No sure how I will solve this problem. But the only way to paint better is to paint more. May set this one aside and come back to it with fresh eyes.

striped fabric & printmaking

This is from the still life set up on Monday. It is another busy week so I opted to do a smaller painting 16" x 12". I am not so sure that smaller takes less time particularlly when I put everything from the set up on one sheet. This time I decided to add the stripes in the orange fabric to help show the folds. I have never done stripes before so this should be interesting, at least to me.

Wednesday was the printmaking mid-term critique. It is always fun to see what everyone else is doing. I was surprised when several people said that my landscape #1 was finished. I thought is was just beginning and I was trying to figure what direction to take. Now my main job is figuring out what colors and in what order to print my finished plate.