The Heron

Myself, Gerry Church and Janet Graham will be exhibiting artwork at the Image Gallery in downtown Adrian January 15 – February 15, 2008.   The Image Gallery is located at 126 South Main St. in Adrian, MI. 

  Hand painted for Christmas gift.   

 “Cloud Watcher”, Linocut, 8″x10″, NFS….Per my agreement with the people of the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico this image is not for sale.  However, it will be on display at the Image Gallery in downtown Adrian, MI during the month of January.   

Five color reduction linocut, 8×10

Registration:  I used a piece of foam core to register my paper.  It seems to be working well.Linoleum:  Wondercut, first cut.Second CutThird cut50% complete, next comes brown, gold then black.

Last Saturday I spent most of the day at Hidden Lake Gardens taking reference photos.  Myself and other members of the LCVA will be exhibiting our work there in the Spring.  I took this butterfly photo in the flower garden just south of the Visitor Center.  I’ve been thinking about doing a butterfly print for some time and now that I have a good photo reference I started working on it this week.  The first thing I do when using a photo reference is study the photo and sketch it out.  Sometimes I’ll sketch it out two or three times.  Then I sketch the image directly onto the linoleum block.  Some people make a tracing and rub a reverse image on the block.  I don’t.  I probably should because I screwed up my sketch by making it too small.  So, I erased it and drew it again.  The second sketch came out perfect.  I haven’t started cutting yet because I hadn’t decided on how I want the background to look.  I thought about cutting a thousand little circles in different colors…..but I just wasn’t too excited about that.  Then today, while I was watching a movie about Vincent Van Gogh who I love, I was inspired to drop the circle idea and stick with a Van Gogh-like expression of lines in different colors.  I dont know if it will turn out, but it will be fun trying.  Anyway, tonight I have to cut some paper.  I use Rives BFK paper.  I tried about a half dozen other brands and I like the Rives the best.  As for the linoleum I’m using some “Wonder Cut” linoleum from Dick Blick.  It’s more sponge-like and easier to cut but I can tell that I wont be able to achieve as much detail.  I’m not too sure I’ll use it again.  I will be using a reduction process for the butterfly.  I think when I use the last of my linoleum I’ll start experimenting with wood.  I’m using Speedball cutting tools.  They work great for linoleum.  I suppose I’ll have to get some better tools for wood.      

I finally got around to painting this.  I cut and printed this lino during the Artilicious Festival last month.  I was going to print more at home but I wanted to get started on some new images from New Mexico.   

K and I just returned from New Mexico yesterday.  No we didn’t go for the Balloon Fiesta.  We went for the art and to experience New Mexico.  We stayed in Santa Fe but spent most days travelling.  I did a little research before the trip so there were a few places I wanted to visit.  One of my interests was the San Ildefonso Pueblo which is just north of Santa Fe.  I dont think they will mind if I post this picture since I’m not using it for commercial purposes.  It’s a beautiful Pueblo where the residents are known worldwide for their pottery thanks to the late great Maria Martinez.  Anyway we made two trips to Ildefonso.  The first time we stopped by was on our way back to Santa Fe from Bandelier National Monument, but the visitor center was closed.  The Pueblo looked deserted so we decided to go back later.  The visitor center was open the second time but not many galleries were open.  I wondered where they could all be?  Well we stopped in the galleries that were open and purchased a few small pots.  Later that day in Santa Fe we decided to walk through the Governor’s Plaza.  I stopped to inquire about some pottery from a woman who lives in San Ildefonso…stopped to look at some jewelry from a woman who also lives in San Ildefonso.  I realized just then where all the San Ildefonso gallery owners were….in the Santa Fe plaza selling their goods.  Anyway, we had a great time.  I took a ton of photos.  I have enough reference material to spark at least a dozen new paintings or prints.  This photo will remain a photo and will find a home in my living room.          

I spent this past Friday and Saturday at the inaugural “Artalicious” festival in downtown Adrian.  I was hired to demonstrate printmaking so I showed up with some framed work to display, linoleum, and tools.  The crowds were not that heavy but sales were good never the less.  I loved the whole event.  I knew most of the artists but there were a few I havent met and a few I havent seen in a while.  I didnt share a tent with Carlos Tobar afterall.  He was hired to demonstrate painting.  We still hung out a lot anyway since he was only two tents down from me.  I got to meet Jason Stockman, a local potter who was set up next to me.  At the end of the festival I traded him two prints for a bowl and a vase.  Anyway, I spent Friday morning finalizing a sketch of “corn”.  Friday afternoon I spent the day cutting linoleum.  Saturday morning it was busier.  I only had a little bit of work left on the block but spent a lot of time talking to people in the crowd.  I ended up making a test print around 1 pm.  The kernals were a tad small so I borrowed my neighbor Christine Marsh’s dremel tool to make them bigger.  I had never used a dremel tool on linoleum but figured it was as good a time as any to experiment.  It worked well so I may have to run out and get one now.  I’ve wanted one for a while anyway.  I’m not a huge fan of reworking my blocks, but I had a lot of time left in the day so I did.  The kernals looked larger on the second attempt, but it was getting colder and windier.  The ink on my glass was drying fast but the ink on my paper wasnt.  Carlos told me that it was probably the cold temps that were causing the ink to stay tacky for so long.  I prefer printing with oil based ink but I knew I couldnt use it at the festival because it would never dry in time before I had to pack up and take everything home.  Anyway I ended up only making six prints.  I was fed up with the ink drying so fast on my glass and was certain more prints on my drying rack would stick together if the wind blew them hard enough.  So I cleaned up shop and finished out the day trying to finish a block I had started a month or so ago.  Overall, I had a great time.  The owner of the Book Abbey in Adrian asked if i would be interested in selling my work in their gallery.  I went there today, signed the contract and dropped off all my remaining prints…minus a few of my favorite =)