Cardinal monotype

Sorry I can not figure out how to make this image become vertical.  Anyway this is a monotype that was sold at the Georgia Coastal Artist June Show.  Northern Cardinals just brighten up my summer days.

An Art Show to celebration life

Here I am with my family who came out to support me

In March, I opened my first art show since going through treatments for breast cancer.  My doctors and I fought hard and we won this cancer. So I wanted to celebrate. Judith Hall was my mentor for my printmaking.  She passed away in January 2014 so I wanted to celebrate her life. The Show was titled "My Mentor and Me" It was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who came out to help us to celebrate.

Here are a couple of monotypes and etching that sold during the show.



Here is one of my small etching of the horse I shared my life with for many years ago. It is called Freedom because Pepsi and I found our freedom together.

This is a vertical piece sorry it won't turn around oh well. It is titled Chipping Away. It was to honor our Woodbine Great Backyard Count. The Chipping Sparrows help the children discover birds. 

This Black and White and Red all over.  It is a Downy woodpecker I watched at Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge.

This is Windsails.  There are only a few left of this edition. 

Now it is time to get back to the studio.

Here is one more I worked on November 24.

Yellowthroat in the weeds

Sat down and did a little drawing today. This was a piece from the last studio session. Common Yellowthroats tend to blend into their surrounding. When I saw these plants I was intrigued by how wispy they were in the fields. There is always one or two Common Yellowthroats flitting around them in migration.

Monotypes from Late July Studio session

Here are three monotypes that came out of the late July studio session. My french tool press is a wonderful press. I am always amazed at nature and the patterns it provides if we just look.

July 21, 2011 in the studio

After selling my monotypes at the last art show, I had to get back to work. I have been watching an interesting leave pattern. I knew it would soon be mowed down so I didn’t feel bad gathering it up. I did learn it is important to take these plants right back to the studio. They wilted before the session began.

My press is a French Tool press. For years I worked as a printmaker for other printmakers and artists. In those days, I worked nine to ten hours days, so my press has a motor to turn the gears. After getting out my Daniel Smith water based inks, I move the gears up to pull up the roller. I don’t need a lot of pressure when pulling monotypes as I do when I pull an etching. I ink the Plexiglas and the session begins. As I have said before, it is a kinetic process. I begin with an idea of what I want and work toward that idea.

Here is an idea of what the process looks like.

Here is the plate ready for the first pull. I soak rag paper and blot it and place on this plate.Here is my press doing its job. The rag paper goes thru the press under pressure. It needs special blankets. I also put newsprint between the paper and the blankets.See the embossing! I love the idea of part of nature captured in the monotype.This is a few of the monotypes that came out of the studio time. Now there are other steps. But today it was a good session.

Painted Bunting sold

Here is one of the four monotypes of Painted Buntings I just completed. I enjoy doing these monotypes for they are a part of my experience in nature.

It is a process which requires a block of uninterrupted time in the studio. I work with Daniel Smith's water based etching inks on Plexiglass. It is a kinetic processes. The paper is damp so it is wet on wet. It is a challenge to get the crisp lines so I am thrilled when I do it.

What do you think?

This one and two other of these monotypes sold at the Georgia Coastal Artists' show this past weekend.

Big Red monotype

I did several bird surveys up at the north end of Jekyll. It is a pocket marsh area. There was dried Marsh Fleabane a native plant. I gather some up along with other grasses. Back in the studio, I began a printing session. When I was finished I had several monotypes. Here is a monotype construction from that session. I call it a construction because I have combined two monotypes to make one image. I am using Daniel Smith water based etching ink. The paper is 100% rag Arches Cover. I call this one Big Red, for the cardinal that posed for me. It measure 10 x 20 matted.