Betsy's Studio Diary

I had a great weekend!

2012-03-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I led a two-day lino-cut workshop. It was my return to 'teaching' after a hiatus of a few years and I was quite nervous in the two weeks leading up to the workshop, (which was held at the beautiful, new Schack Art Center in Everett, Washington). I spent hours prepping and preparing and gathering supplies and writing lists and notes, and still when the day arrived I felt as if I was jumping off a cliff. But I am so glad I took the leap as it was a truly enjoyable experience; for me and I think for the participants as well. Day one I may have (well, no, I did) overwhelmed them with information, but they were gracious and patient with me and not so discouraged that they didn't come back for the second day. On day two they hit their stride and the studio was buzzing with creative fervor. By Sunday afternoon everyone had a beautiful multi-block lino-cut print to show for all of their effort. It was a way-fun weekend and I can't wait to do it again. Thank you Schack Art Center! Thank you wonderful students!

Clearly, I am easily distracted these days

2012-02-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

My sketching and blogging have taken a back seat to The Hunger Games this past week. Every spare moment I've had, (including sitting at stop lights during my long and often slow commute) was spent reading this book. It's a real page-turner I tell ya! I finished it just in time for the season finale of Downton Abbey. Did either of these compelling stories inspire my sketches? No,(not yet). But I am inspired to seek out the remaining tomes of Suzanne Collins' trilogy and I can re-watch episodes of Downton Abbey online.
Oh, and I still have a couple of movies to see before the Academy Awards next Sunday.

I love the broad shoulders and narrow hips of competitive swimmers.

I've been seeing lots of pregnant ladies lately.

A new obsession

2012-02-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

I've been visiting this blog a lot, a lot lately and am equal parts amused, mesmerized and inspired.

Refresher Course

2012-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Last week I finally printed editions of the advent blocks I worked on in December. It didn't take me long after beginning this task to remember just how challenging it can be (for me) to print a simple, one-color linoleum block edition...mixing a sufficient amount of ink using the right combination of colors and medium to make a smooth, rich black of an adequate consistency; properly and evenly rolling up the plate; getting the pressure on the printing press just right...the week-long exercise was good practice as I prepare to teach a lino-cut workshop in early March. (My hiatus from teaching has been longer than my hiatus from using linoleum, but I'm looking forward to having a go with a room full of eager students!) On many levels it was a very good self-imposed refresher course! Today I photographed the Advent prints and then posted them to my website. As always, I love checking things off my To-Do list.

January doldrums

2012-01-29T20:17:00.000-08:00

My piece for the (re)shift exhibit at Shift Gallery is finished, framed and delivered. The show opens next week and I'm looking forward to seeing how the other artists interpreted the theme. Here's my take:

Tending and Mending

Woodblock Print

2 blocks, 9 colors, 13 passes

When I considered the word ‘shift’ I couldn’t help but think of the shift dresses my mother made for my sisters and me when we were growing up. A shift dress is a simple, above-the-knee dress, fitted with darts and a straight cut skirt. Over the years, my mother made many of these dresses for my sisters and me, (along with sundresses, pinafores, prom dresses and bridal gowns). Through this act she demonstrated her creativity as well as her love for us. Due to her advancing age, my mother can no longer create beautiful dresses and gowns as she can no longer master the gears and gadgets of her sewing machine. Her legacy of beautifully sewn dresses now lives in faded photographs and memories. And the lives of my siblings and me have shifted from being cared for, to taking care of our dear mother.

The reality of the above weighed on me as I worked on this piece. And our little winter, with its scenic snow and ice (viewed comfortably from indoors) has ended and been replaced with the usual gray sky and blustery wind and rain. It's all left me feeling a little blue. Yesterday was another day of cold temperatures and intermittent sprinkles, but I took a walk anyway. Happily, this little dog, in his jaunty jumper, cheered me up:

And here's a sketch for the week...more tangles.

Horn tootin'

2012-01-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

The new year has started with a flurry of creative activity and the oodles of time I've spent in my studio has kept me from doing posting of any sort on this blog. More on that in a bit. First, a bit of horn tooting.
I have been included in this exhibit at the lovely Cullom Gallery in the International District of Seattle. The exhibit is spotlighting artists who participated in the Nagasawa Art Park Program and hopes to demonstrate how participation in the program and exposure to moku hanga has influenced their work since returning. I am flattered and thrilled to have been included. Hey local readers, there is an opening reception on Friday evening, feel free stop by!
The other bit of news is that I have also been invited to create a piece for a February exhibit at Shift Gallery also in Seattle. Presently the gallery is exhibiting an interesting collection created by gallery members responding to the word "shift". For February, each gallery member was asked to to invite an non-member to do the same. (BTW, the piece on the home page is by my friend Susan Gans who asked me to participate.) From the press release:

"In February 2012 Shift Collaborative Studio extends its exploration of the theme "shift", inviting members of the arts community to contribute their explorations of the theme. Each member of Shift is responsible for inviting one artist -- someone not already part of the collective -- to respond in whatever way they choose to the creative challenge represented by the theme. The show will feature a range of original works in a variety of media, and by a number of local, regional and international artists, shifting the focus of the collective to the showcasing of work by others."

Thus the oodles of time I've been spending in my studio. aack! Let me back up a little bit...a few weeks ago I glanced at my horoscope, which I am wont to do, and it warned me to not rush into anything; to be patient; to wait for *the muse*; ( I'm not kidding) . I scoffed and ran off to my studio to begin my piece for the Shift show. The first two attempts were disastrous, cost me many precious studio days, (along with a pile of wasted okawara paper) and left me in a panic about impending failure and the humiliation of having to tell my friend Susan I couldn't come up with the goods. Then, last Saturday night *the muse*, (mentioned in the smug little horoscope column) came to me in a dream! With that visit the path forward was suddenly clear. On Sunday morning I began with fresh blocks, a new pile of paper, (not okawara, I'm all out) and (I'm knocking on wood as I type this) so far so good. My biggest concern at this point is how to display in the gallery, what is likely to be a still-damp print.

I wish I had a progress shot to share, but in all honesty, I don't want to jinx myself. I hope this image will suffice:

This is a phone-photo of my backyard, taken during this morning's Seattle Snow Blast 2012. I suspect *the muse* had something to do with this most advantageous snow day. A little conspiring with Mother Nature if you will, providing me with even more studio time. I further suspect I will never scoff at my horoscope again.

Tangles

2012-01-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

For the past few days I've been sketching tangles. It suddenly occurs to me that these sketches are a very accurate rendition of my Christmas tree lights.

Welcome 2012

2011-12-29T07:44:00.000-08:00

December tidbits

2011-12-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended my annual book group Christmas party. Everyone brings a wrapped book, (and a bottle of wine) and we play that game in which each person in turn can open a book or steal a book. It is great fun. Here are all the books opened at last night's celebration, several of which are already on the queue for 2012.

And here's a particularly cute photo of my particularly cute cat, Jolene. She is irresistible and often hides herself away to avoid my clutches. But she can't hide from me for long.

And here is my constant 'note to self' during this busy, hectic month.

Advent

2011-12-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

Happy December first! Advent began last Sunday, so I have decided to share proofs of the prints I created for this season of 'expectant waiting.' These images were created for the four Sundays of Advent and are based on scripture readings for each of those Sundays. I enjoy Advent with the darkening days and the anticipation and preparation that consumes them.

Yay for pie!

2011-11-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

It has been another week of working diligently on my series of prints for Advent. Having not worked with linoleum in quite some time, I've had to do a bit of relearning. The first block was begun again after proofing. Same with the second. Now on the third image, I feel like I'm finally getting the 'hang' of linoleum once again. I'll share images later.
Now, I'll take a bit of break to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends and hopefully, lots of pie.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

A difficult balance

2011-11-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

In his book, The War of Art, Steven Pressfield discusses the difference between an amateur artist and a professional artist. To quote Mr. Pressfield, "The amateur plays part-time, the professional full-time. The amateur is a weekend warrior, The professional is there seven days a week." Unfortunately, I am not in a position to abandon my day job,and yet, I'd like to think of myself as a professional. I've tried very hard over the years to put into practice the behaviors Mr. Pressfield's proposes...with varying success. And, this week I achieved my constant goal of getting some studio time in every day! What a productive week! My list of accomplishments includes: riding the learning curve of my new Epson printer, daily sketching and working on a suite of prints for Advent. It feels good to be creative every day. On the flip side, with all that studio time, my house is a mess, there is a mountain of laundry in my hamper, and my refrigerator is empty, (tonight I had a single boiled potato and a piece of peanut butter bread for dinner). Mr. Pressfield also writes that a professional will not tolerate disorder, must eliminate chaos by keeping the carpet vacuumed and the threshold swept so that "the Muse may enter and not soil her gown." Hmmm, Mr. Pressfield must have a wife.

What will you do with your extra hour?

2011-11-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

I will probably sleep.

Highly recommended

2011-10-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

This morning I finished The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I've read it before and I will certainly read it again. It's a kick in the pants in less than 200 pages and on my 'highly recommended' list.

Hello again.

2011-10-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the end of October, and what a month it has been. Along with car wrecks and other misadventures I traveled a bit; locally and out of state to visit my folks and family. I feel lucky in that I adore my family; six siblings and we all like each other, each other's spouses, kids, and kids of kids! My folks are still alive and kickin' but as time goes on, getting back there to help them out has become more important. There are a couple of activities that have become somewhat traditional when I visit home, one is going to the YMCA for a work out with my 86 year old father, and the other is a visit to The Flint Institute of Arts. In spite of its dismal economy, crime and bad press, Flint has a lovely cultural center and art museum. An impressive and growing collection, (their most recent acquisition is a large bronze by Deborah Butterfield) classes, educational programs and interesting exhibitions all help to make it lively, robust and worth visiting frequently. One of the current exhibits, and the one we went specifically to see is: Quilting Traditions: The Art of Amish Quilts. While I usually prefer the crazy, asymmetrical, Gee's Bend type of quilting, after our visit, I have a whole new appreciation for the precision, limited palette and artistry with which the women of this austere community created these functional pieces of art. I've often viewed quilting as subversive, one of few ways in which women, over time, have been able to express themselves, their beliefs and (sometimes radical) ideas, so when I viewed this beautiful collection of quilts, I couldn't help but wonder if some of them, with their bright colors, intricate stitching and sophisticated design, (and especially the one where the artist actually stitched her name on the quilt!) were the creations of rebellious, expressive women, responding to the limitations of their existence.

The Ruth Mott Gallery is my favorite gallery at The Flint Institute of Arts. Each time I visit I return to this gallery of American primitive paintings to see the two pieces below specifically. (I snapped these photos with my phone so forgive the quality, please.)

Humming Bird, Red Bird, Baltimore Bird, Robbin, Flicker, Blue Bird attributed to Thomas Coke Ruckle, 1842

The Fowler Children artist unknown, 1854

Regrettably, I spent very little time in my studio, or with my sketch book, during the month of October. sigh. But I have just been asked to create a series of prints for the upcoming season of Advent. Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation. As we head into these darkest days of the year, a bit of focus and preparation sounds good to me. Perhaps I can channel the concentration and industry of those Amish women and create something lovely.

Every path has its puddles

2011-10-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

In recent days my life has taken on similarities to a Bible story, an Oprah-picked novel or a Road Runner cartoon. Traffic mishaps, a catastrophic mechanical failure with my hybrid car, and a small health scare to be precise. It seemed that just when I thought the worst of times had ended, and life was maybe returning to normal, I was blindsided by another encounter with fate. I always thought these sort of events happened in threes. Well apparently my friends, they happen in fours as well. Let's hope they don't happen in fives, and be careful out there!

A day of rest

2011-10-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Confession: As my fingers are plunking out this entry, it is late Sunday afternoon and I am still in my pajamas. I've had a delightful day...Over two big, strong cups of coffee, I read the Sunday paper; I had a long overdue phone conversation with my cousin; a friend stopped by to ~~gossip~~ visit; got a little work done; spent sometime playing in my studio with carbon black, q-tips and water color. When I'm done here I am going to pour myself a glass of wine and attempt a skype session with a dear friend. If that doesn't work I'll look for some Law & Order reruns or curl up with a book. My wish is that everyone reading this has enjoyed their Sunday as much as I've enjoyed mine.

Do you remember the time you painted freckles on my nose?

yay...

2011-09-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm in the exhibit, and on the postcard. yay!

Free the sister wives!

2011-09-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished reading, for the second time, Under the Banner of Heaven, by Jon Krakauer. I very rarely read books twice, but 'Banner' was this month's selection for my new book club. I won't even attempt to write a review of this book or put to words the frustration and anger I felt reading it both times. The violence, abuse, oppression, and corruption, apparently inherent in the fundamentalist faction of the Mormon church is appalling. But, aren't those elements a part of every fundamentalist faction of every religion? Honestly, I think a lot of people have stopped asking themselves, what would Jesus, or Muhammad, or Buddha, or Krishna, or Zeus, do? Well, I think Zeus was kind of mean, throwing those lightning bolts and doing all that seducing, (maybe he was related to Joseph Smith?) so we can remove him from the list.
I will now permanently retire Mr. Krakauer's tome to my bookshelf and turn my attention toward some light fiction.

Polka-dots

2011-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

When I added the polka-dots to this little sketch I had a Ratatouille moment. You remember the scene: Anton Ego, the food critic, tastes Remy's (the rat-chef extraordinaire) ratatouille and is instantly swept back into an endearing childhood memory. I chuckled viewing that scene, but in a bittersweet kind of way, because, haven't we all seen or heard or smelled something and done a little time traveling? Like today with my sketch...after adding the polka-dots I was transported to the davenport (which is what my mom called the couch) in the family room of the house where I grew up, my little legs not yet reaching the floor, with a book on my lap. The book was full of big, friendly creatures and every creature, as I recall, was covered with bold, brightly colored polka-dots. I poured over this book as a kid, (along with Go Dog Go, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back) and attribute it for my love of polka-dots all these years later, but, for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the book! I will likely be thinking about this all day. But, if anyone who happens to read this blog, happens to recall this book, please drop me a line.

Mr. Thoreau says:

2011-09-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

"An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." I wholeheartedly agree. There is a 3+ mile route, close to home, that I walk frequently. The route takes me through a suburban neighborhood, around a lake, along a busy thoroughfare, down a road, (which I'm sure was once considered, "the boondocks") and back home again. Sometimes I take this walk with my friend and neighbor. We chat and gossip for the entire 3+ miles and it's better than therapy. Sometimes I take this walk alone and use the time to sort through my mental inbox, to shake off pent up anxieties, and on a good day, to notice and enjoy the sights and sounds this walk provides, day after day, season after season, year after year. Late summer is perhaps my favorite time to take this walk, especially at the blush of dawn, when the air is cool and the morning commute is not yet in full swing. On occasion I snap a photo or two with my phone. What follows are sights I've happened to notice lately.

One of many, very friendly cats.

Two, always hungry, horses.

A border of flowers that arches over my path.

Preparations for winter.

An area of aviaries.

Studio update:

My once tidy studio is presently a jumble of sketches and books and pens and pencils. I'm working on ideas for what may turn out to be a series of prints. It's been a while since I've thrown an idea at the wall and had it stick, so I'm intrigued and excited. And that's all I'm going to say for while I'm not superstitious, I don't want to jinx myself.

Art speak

2011-09-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

While strolling through Seattle on Saturday afternoon, I snapped a few photos with my phone. This one strikes me as the most interesting and it allows me to use an art word. Doesn't Deborah Butterfield's impressive piece, Ke'oke'o, provide an interesting juxtaposition to the urban landscape?

Back in the saddle

2011-09-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

August has ended and with it my month-long foray into the land of home improvement. I am happy to report that I finished all the projects on my list, and then some. But, as it is with most home projects, when one is complete, another two or three appear. Surely every homeowner has had the following experience: with a fresh coat of paint on the walls, the woodwork suddenly looks more scuffed and scraped then ever. An afternoon of touching up the woodwork and the carpeting reveals itself as the shabby, threadbare wall-to-wall covering it really is....and so on, and so on, and so on. Therefore, while my month dedicated to improving my property has ended, my to-do list is longer than ever. Sigh.
In spite of the many hours I devoted to painting and caulking and purging and organizing, August was not a month devoid of art. Mid-month I traveled to the Bay Area to visit some of the people I love most in the world and in my short time there visited several galleries and museums. One highlight was visiting Crown Point Press. I roamed through their summer exhibition which included some lovely prints, but not one by Jockum Nordstrom, who currently is one of my favorite artists. Seeing me peruse a book of his work, the bookstore clerk invited me to look at the prints JN and his wife, Karin Mama Andersson made during their recent residency at Crown Point Press. I'm sure I gushed and drooled upon seeing their lovely collaborative pieces. Other interesting exhibits viewed in SF were an exhibit of traditional and contemporary Korean wrapping cloths, called Bojagi, at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art and at the Cartoon Art Museum, items from the movie HOWL and a collection of Archie comics, (as a kid I loved Archie comics perhaps more than I loved The Fantastic Four).
Having spent a month away from any serious art making I am equal parts excited to get back to work and fearful. I worry...what if I've completely lost my momentum? ...what if I've forgotten how to draw, carve, print? To ease myself back into my studio practice I spent today roaming through the Seattle Art Museum and various local galleries. I saw many inspiring and interesting exhibits, including the exquisite paper cuts by Qiao Xiaoguang at The Cullom Gallery.

from The City Series, by Qiao Xiaoguang

Having spent the day looking at art and roaming the streets of Seattle, (on what was a beautiful day) I returned home and bravely picked up my sketchbook. Tomorrow I will enter my clean and tidy studio, (another of my August chores) and get back to work, in earnest.

Bedroom painted, check... bathroom painted, check...

2011-08-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am slowing checking things off the Great-August-Spruce-Up to do list. Last week I finally settled on a color for my powder room, painted two thick, juicy coats of paint on the walls and am quite pleased with the outcome. Painting the laundry room was not on my list, but happily, one of the rejected colors from the powder room project looks quite nice in there, so that room received some fresh paint as well. I will now take a short break from this flurry of domestic updating to pay a visit to dear family in the bay area. When I return, it's on to my grout-and-caulk project. Carry on!

Below are a few experiments from the workshop I am taking this summer. Each week my classmates and I play with various ideas and materials, be it type, line, or color. I'm not sure, but I think eventually we will bind these 'experiments' into a book.

Reversible Flower 1

Reversible Flower 2

Typeface Grl

Paint chip Grl

Home Improvements?

2011-08-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

I thought I would spend the month of August doing a little sprucing-up around the house. Last week I slapped a fresh coat of paint in my son's bedroom, felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment, and eagerly turned to the next project on my list, updating the paint in my little powder room. After three trips to the paint store and the application of two very different colors of paint, I am still unhappy with the results. Tomorrow I will try color number three. Looking on the bright side, there are still three weeks left in August, (plenty of time to settle on a color, no?) and I have a pile of paint chips, in a rainbow of colors, I can use in my sketchbook!

Activites list...

2011-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Or, how I'm spending the summer of 2011
1.   Day job
2.   Cat sitting
3. Watching the weather for cycling opportunities
4.   Remaining painfully pale
5.   Grumbling about the weather
6.   Taking a 'creativity' class which is reminding me just how rigid and uptight i can be
7.   Art stuff: finishing most recent print, (see below), tossing my hat into several upcoming juried exhibits
8.   Grumbling about the weather
9. Trying to decide on a color to paint my bathroom
10. Wondering what will happen on August 2
11. Enjoying a weekly delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables from the other (and more sunny) side of the state
12. Grumbling about the weather

Conjoined II

(based on the writings of Joseph Joubert )

Woodblock Relief Print
17.5" x 18"

2 blocks, 8 colors, 11 passes

No sketches to share at this time. For shame!!!

"This concerns me..."

2011-07-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

That quote above...it's from Project Runway's Tim Gunn. I've been imagining a little Tim sitting on my shoulder for the past few days. Last week I ran into a major technical problem with my current print...dents in my beautiful piece of shina plywood created by a flaw in my press-board! Unfortunately, I didn't discover the problem until the third run of color. By then, quite a bit of damage had been done. For several reasons, starting over isn't an option, so the little imaginary Tim sitting on my shoulder has been whispering another of his famous lines in my ear: "make it work!" After a bit of kvetching and ruminating I adjusted my expectations along with a bit of the composition. While it isn't perfect, I am beyond wanting to toss block and prints out the window. The picture below isn't the finest quality but you can see the problem spot right there in the upper right quarter. Hopefully the remaining tricks up my sleeve will be distracting enough to offset the current imperfection, and will earn me a delightful, "carry on!" from my little imaginary Tim.

6 colors and 8 runs through the press...so far

And here is this week's sketch...

Limited power

Tidbit from the Sunday paper

2011-07-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

Perusing the Sunday paper, I came across a review of a new book: The Story of Charlotte's Web: E.B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic. (you can read said article here). Apparently, Mr. White was a shy, solitary boy who felt a great kinship to animals. I love animals too, but can say without hesitation that spiders are the creatures for which I hold the least affection. This presents a conundrum of sorts in that Charlotte's Web is the book I've read the most times in my life. And my favorite character in the book was not Wilbur, or Fern, or Templeton, but Charlotte. As a child I loved her intelligence, her kindness, her patience. I cried when she died and was touched when her little babies floated away on what I imagined were parachutes and I still think of her when I come across a web full of teeny-tiny baby spiders. But, in all honestly, if I came across Charlotte in my home, it wouldn't matter what message she may have woven into her elegant web. Just the sight of her eight legs would make my skin crawl and send me running in for my spider-catcher. What is my spider-catcher you ask? It's an ingenious contraption I invented myself, comprised of a Glad Ware bowl and an oversize postcard. I am able to remain an arm's length away from any spider that dares to enter my living space, drop the bowl on top of him or her, and then slide the postcard under the bowl effectively trapping the arachnid . I then toss the entire unit into the great outdoors, which is where all spiders belong. When I am sure the critter has scuttled away I retrieve my spider catcher and breathe a big sigh of relief.

ANYWAY, the article got me thinking...it's fascinating and interesting to me how we humans are able to simultaneously feel such contradictory emotions.

It's been a slow week in my studio and I've spent very little time with my sketchbook. The weather has been relatively decent and after such a miserable spring I simply cannot pass up any opportunity to be outside, even if I do have to share space with spiders. Here's a meager sketch and my current print, pass number two. I plan to forgo Independence Day celebrations and spend the day hunkered down in my studio, (although, if this year is anything like last year, my neighbors will put on a display of illegal fireworks that will rival any organized spectacle, which includes an element of danger in that I have a cedar roof.)

"When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees."

(I can't believe I dated this sketch September 30, 2011.)

...a wise saying by Joseph Joubert, whose wisdom has also inspired the print I am currently working on. The image is slowly becoming clearer, no?

I caught a bug.

2011-06-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Last week, while perusing the internet looking at art, my home computer contracted a nasty, nasty virus. Thank goodness I have a lovely neighbor who is also well versed in geek matters. She worked with me for several evenings to decontaminate my poor PC, which is not quite, but mostly, back to normal. Seriously, I am so grateful to my friend and neighbor for helping me through this ordeal! If it weren't for her, my computer would have been tossed from a window. But, after this most frustrating of calamities, I find myself hesitant to venture out on to the web in search of information and inspiration. I fear I must return to the old fashioned methods I once employed to seek enlightenment and revelation...visiting the library, perusing the shelves of book stores, reading books, touring art museums...hey, that sounds like fun.
I began a new print over the weekend. Would you like to take a guess as to what it will turn out to be?

I love starting a new piece! I've said this before, and it's still true: to me, starting a new piece feels a lot like falling in love. And here is sketch number 32 for 2011. What, no sticky notes? They're there, but they're white.

This year, last year and the year before that.

2011-06-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

The dust is beginning to settle around me. For the past several days I've been consumed in a frenzy of reorganizing. My house, my office, my studio, nothing has gone untouched. Earlier today it occurred to me that last year, right about this time, I was also in a domestic groove. At first I thought it might be a pattern of behavior, so I looked through the archives of this blog. In doing so I discovered that two years ago at this time, I was in Florence, Italy. Then I got depressed. Assembling metal shelves and loading them up with dusty boxes full of stuff gleaned from my children's rooms is just not the same as roaming down medieval streets, considering the works of Giotto, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Bernini, etc., or consuming the most excellent pizza EVER. So maybe the household hysteria in which I've engaged, this June and last, has been a convenient, if not productive way to avoid a maudlin stroll down memory lane. It's nice to have my yard in order and dozens of boxes aligned neatly on my newly assembled shelves, but I'd really rather be in Italy.

Some of my fellow travelers and me, enjoying the chapels of the Basilica of Santa Croce
Florence, Italy, 2009
*sigh*

In between shuttling boxes and moving furniture I was able to finish my print for the SPA Print Exchange. I am satisfied with the result.

Conjoined I
Wood block print
11" x 15"
2 blocks, 6 colors, 6 passes

Unfortunately, I didn't get much time with my sketchbook this week. So in honor of all dad's everywhere, I'm re-posting this sketch of my dad; an interpretation of his graduation photo.

Richard H. Best ~ Flint Central High School, Class of 1943
Best Dad EVER

I was trying to daydream but my mind kept wandering...

2011-06-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Another scattered week has passed. Sometimes my cousin and I joke about contracting adult onset ADD, but I sometimes I'm not joking. It often feels like I am too busy, and wearing too many hats for the small sphere that is my life. I'm suddenly reminded of this book from my childhood!

It was one of Captain Kangaroo's read-aloud favorites. (Having just spent a few minutes reading the Wikipedia entry on Captain Kangaroo I am further reminded of Mr. Green Jeans, Mr. Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Moose!)

See what I mean? Scattered, distracted, prone to flights of fancy, that's me. Perhaps this is due to a sort of mania that can accompany the long summer days in the northwest, (over 15 hours of daylight today! sunset at 9:07 p.m.!) or maybe it's the fuzzy thinking that comes to women of a certain age...walking into a room to get the car keys and 30 minutes later three bookshelves have been straightened and the sink has been scoured, but I'm going to be late to work. Again. At times I am able to hyper focus, (which I have learned is a paradoxical ADD ability). This usually occurs for me, typically, when working in my studio. At those times the cats go hungry, the mail piles up, I live on coffee and pita chips and wear my pajamas all day. (I'm just kidding about not feeding my cats. I love my cats. This week was Henry's first birthday!). Yesterday, my hyper-focusing ability allowed me to accomplish a bit on the print I'm working on for the upcoming print exchange. So far, so good.

print, carve, print, carve, print

And my sketchbook and sticky notes have always provided ample opportunities for me to while-away the time that could be spent dusting, paying bills, making a hot meal for myself, or trying to figure out why my sketch postings of late tend to look blurry, (see below).

That's my week in a nutshell. (Having just spent reading the Wikipedia entry on nutshells I have learned that walnut shells can be used for cleaning and polishing, as a filler in dynamite, and as a thickening agent in paint!)

In search of sunglasses...

2011-06-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

The sun is pouring through my windows and the out of doors beckons! Spring in the northwest has been quite dismal this year. Lots of rain and skies grayer than usual. Last night water was overflowing from my gutters and I felt sure they were clogged with last autumn's leaves. Upon inspection early this morning I discovered they were clear which simply confirms how much water was pouring from the heavens. But back to the present...the forecast is for sun and warm temps all weekend! So I am putting all work aside and plan to spend the next two days soaking up copious amounts of Vitamin D. I've made a small start on my current print; one very uneven run through the press. I'll get back to work on Sunday and hope to have more to show for myself early next week.

And here is this week's sketch, inspired by my longing for sun filtering through fresh spring leaves. sigh.

To all who are currently experiencing mother nature's gentler side, enjoy. To those who are not so fortunate, my thoughts are with you. Happy weekend.

Happy June

2011-06-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

The kind of June first I wished for.

It still has that "new" smell

2011-05-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

The walls are up, the plumbing is installed, it's just in need of some finished carpentry, but my new website is online! (Try as I might I cannot figure out how to take a screenshot of the homepage to post here, but if you wish to have a look, the link to the right of this post should take you there. Or you can click this link.) Just like peeling, sunburned skin, I can't stop picking at it. But I must say, I enjoy the fact that I can pick at it, moving this picture there, adding a little more info there. All that to say, it's a work in progress, an obsession almost, and if you ever visit again, the site may look drastically different. Or maybe not.
Here's is this week's sketch. In recent days I've become quite obsessed with sticky notes, and really wish I'd purchased some 3m stock when I had the chance.

Change is (not always) all things sweet...

2011-05-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

The guys who created my present website did a lovely job. Unfortunately, I can't update it myself and the costs associated with frequent updates are beyond my means. As such, my website has fallen terribly, nay embarrassingly, out of date. At the onset of this year I resolved to get down to business and look into the options of rebuilding my website by myself. For months, just the thought of this task send me off looking for another chore, cleaning the refrigerator, sweeping the garage floor, you get the picture. But two weeks ago I finally bit the bullet and started dabbling with website builders, looking for one that matched my meager skill level and would provide a reasonable facsimile of my vision. It's nice that these sites offer a 14-day free trial, but for me it might as well be a day, or an hour. Still, after much butt-sitting and mouse clicking, and an extension on my 14-day free trial, I am getting somewhere and hope to have something to show for all my effort very soon. I'll miss my old website with all of its personal touches and such, but if the past few years have taught me anything, it's that change is inevitable, and change is hard work.

May Day

2011-05-01T06:20:00.000-07:00

May Day, May Day! The speed in which this year is progressing is troubling to me. Especially when I consider my lack of anything to show for the past four months. I did finish my triptych but as with most of my work, it must not be viewed for several weeks. In those weeks I forget all difficulty and disappointment I experienced during the process and make peace with the result. But, ever the optimist and lover of new beginnings, I am stepping boldly into May with fresh ideas and the hope of nicer weather.

I watched the wedding and loved the hats

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

2011-04-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

It is with some hesitancy I say, I do believe my previous sketchbook is complete! Therefore, I've moved on to a new tome, full of clean white pages. Happily, the sticky notes decided to come with me.

PS...Happy Birthday Mr. Shakespeare!

things i have learned in the past 24 hours

2011-04-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

saying no is a skill to be cultivated
single ladies must watch out for moronic jerks
jaw dropping statements are just that
you're never too old to have your feelings hurt
i have a posse of good friends, some of whom i'm related to
and to them i say,

What I did on my spring time vacation

2011-04-11T16:46:00.001-07:00

One thing I had hoped to 'get to' during the visit to my hometown last week was updating my website. Under another set of circumstances I might say, regretfully I wasn't able to get to that task, but the truth is, I had a remarkable and bustling time and don't regret a moment. But dear reader do not think my time in Michigan was in the least bit unproductive. Not only did I participate in a flurry of organizing, mending, cleaning, meandering, chitchatting, chewing the fat and shooting the breeze, I also diddled in my sketchbook. So while my website remains hopelessly, nay embarrassingly, out of date, my current sketchbook, once unremarkable, has provided me with much fodder for future work. And isn't that one of the goals for time away?

Dreams are only interesting to the people who have them

2011-04-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

For most of my adult life I've had a recurring dream. I suspect many people have this dream, or a variation thereof. In my dream I'm a student and I find myself panic stricken as I realize it's the end of the semester or the school year, there's an impending exam and I haven't attended the class or cracked a book all year. Overwhelming anxiety plagues me until I awake, my heart racing, and after a few disoriented seconds, I am relieved to discover it was all just a dream. I'm spending a week in the town where I grew up, so that may be why I had a variation of this dream the other night. In this episode...
I was my present self, (only with pink hair) traveling happily through life when suddenly I was overcome with the realization that I had never graduated from high school. Once again I was panic stricken as I wrestled with the knowledge that I attended college, (several colleges as a matter of fact) married, raised children and held a variety of jobs, all without the benefit of a high school diploma. Some might have considered this feat quite an accomplishment, but what I experienced was a sense of foreboding and overwhelming guilt. Therefore, my pink-haired, dream-self felt compelled to come clean, and decided to march herself to the high school guidance counselor's office to make a confession.
It was St. Patrick's Day (everyone was wearing green and sporting squirt guns) the day I bravely walked to the school to turn myself in. As I entered the doors (the ones between the gym and the cafeteria) I had to navigate a gauntlet of students and friends, all dressed in green, pelting me with water from their squirt guns. The walk to the guidance counselor's office was excruciatingly long, the hallway seemingly endless. I sheepishly made my confession, only to learn I had been mistaken, I actually had graduated from high school! As she sat there my pink-haired, dream-self felt, not relief or comfort, but a miserable sense of let-down and regret.

When I awoke from this episode my heart was not racing. No, this time my heart felt heavy with
the thought that my dream-self had lived all those years carrying around so much unnecessary guilt.

In the days following, the feelings conjured up by this dream stuck around like gum on my shoe.
And just like my dream-self, I felt compelled to do something about it. So, today I decided to retrace the steps of my dream by taking a long walk to my alma mater. As it turned out, the school district is taking its spring break this week so after arriving at the high school I could only peer through the windows of the doors between the gym and the cafeteria. I couldn't do my 'dead man walking' imitation down the long hall to peek into the guidance counselor's office. So I roamed around the empty parking lot, thinking about my dream and the years between high school and now, and I snapped a few pictures with my phone. But walking along the memory-laden sidewalks leading to my high school, roaming around the empty parking lot, and peering in the school windows was cathartic nonetheless. I felt lighter somehow; less stickiness on my shoes. And, on the walk back to my folk's house I found myself wondering: now that this dream, recurring and unresolved for so many years, has finally reached a conclusion of sorts, now that my subconscious seems to have finally unearthed some of the feelings that may have inspired it in the first place, will I ever have this dream, or one of its variations, again? Has all that guilt and anxiety and regret been laid to rest or will it only resurface in some other dream scenario? I'll keep you posted, but only if you're interested.

The sidewalk leading to my high school

The doors between the gym and the cafeteria

My alma mater

I could use more of these...

2011-03-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Many hands make light work. Idle hands are the devil's workshop. The hands that help are far better than the lips that pray. Hand me that bottle. Second hand rose. All hands on deck. Lend a hand. Clean hands, pure heart. Hand it over. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. Under-handed. Don't let the right hand know what the left hand is doing. Melts in your mouth, not in your hands. I wanna hold your hand. The hands of time. In good hands.

a breakthrough?

2011-03-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, what if these images of conjoined individuals are the result of my subconscious working through the dilemma/struggle I face, trying to balance my work (and passion) as an artist and the (fiscally) necessary work I must do as a church-lady office worker? omg! And there was no psychiatrist's couch or years of analysis needed! Of course, these drawings could be the result of a seriously flawed psyche which might benefit with a few years of analysis...nah.

Self portrait on a Wednesday afternoon

2011-03-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

A rare mid-week post. Feeling a bit bugged, bothered, and beleaguered today. Counting the minutes until I can get outside, as the sun is making a rare appearance.

Sows ears and silk purses

2011-03-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Some of the sketchbooks I've filled over the years have become treasures. Turning the pages is almost like looking through an old photo album with each page, doodle or drawing evoking memories and reminding me of where I once was. Occasionally I peruse these sketchbooks and find inspiration for my current or future work. Of course, there are also sketchbooks that hold very little in the way of inspiration or pleasant memories. Let's face it. All artists go through dry, uninspired, rusty, dusty spells and the sketchbooks from those periods are usually less satisfying, (embarrassing almost) and thus filed away on a bookshelf. But, I believe it's good to peruse those less satisfying doodles as well, if nothing else than to remind myself that if I keep at it, I will reach the other side of that dry spell. I've been mostly dissatisfied with the content of my current sketchbook and have just a few blank pages left. The easiest course would be to fill the last page and place sketch journal on the far reaches of my bookshelf and start anew with a fresh sketch journal. However, my dissatisfaction has been so great, so compelling, I decided to take a different tack. Instead I'm trying to turn this less than satisfying sketchbook into one of my treasures. I've been drawing on the backsides of some pages and drawing on top of incomplete and/or embarrassing doodles. Some of the results I've found intriguing. In particular the "conjoined" sketches. I've always been drawn to multiples and there is something fascinating to me about these women/girls who are now living their lives on top of, entwined with, inside of, each other. This has been a good exercise and each day this once dissatisfying sketchbook is looking more like one of my treasures.

Conjoined 4

Conjoined 5

Tradition!

2011-03-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, Oysterville; one year ago, Holden Village; this year, Hood Canal; another book group retreat. Half way through the 451 page book. Here are this week's sketches. I'm off to read. And pack.

bodacious black dress

conjoined 3

Excuses and more excuses!

2011-03-08T17:27:00.001-08:00

I continue to live with distractions. Some of these distractions are valid and worthy of my attention...taxes, animals in my care. Some are self indulgent and would be too humiliating to admit to in such a public arena. I've been in this place before, lots of times. And that's why I believe I've chosen printmaking as my medium. Really, it's the perfect medium for me for printmaking allows almost endless do-overs! If this print isn't perfect, there's always a chance the next one will be! Unfortunately I often apply this philosophy to my personal life and then am surprised and frustrated when perfection doesn't follow. But I'm learning. Slowly. Maybe. Enough kvetching. Spring is around the corner, the crocuses are popping up in my yard, the days are lengthening, it's time to refocus! Again.
In spite of the many distractions I'm living with, I am managing to get some time in my studio. I continue to sketch, (albeit not as frequently as I'd like) and work on the triptych continues. It WILL be done by the end of the month. One of my goals for the new year is to produce one print a month. If I fudge the math a little this triptych counts as three pieces.

I still have a lot to do , but so far, so good. The most difficult carving and printing is yet to come.

Still playing with little black dresses...and i have a sick cat who has gone from a robust 14 lbs in her heyday to a mere 5.5 lbs. Not good.

conjoined 1

conjoined 2

Carry on!

More little black dresses

2011-02-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Last week's Little Black Dress sketch got me thinking about this painting (which i love) by Alex Katz. All week i've been sketching little black dresses.

Little Black Dress Yin Yang

Little Black Dress - casual/formal

Little Black Dress - jewel

Can you ever have too many little black dresses? Me thinks not.

January Snooze

2011-02-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

It isn't at all clear to me what happened to the month of January. Yes, I went to work, (both jobs) and yes, I did some sketching, (doodles, really), and I've seen a few movies, but I've dropped many balls...the housework ball, the blog-o-shere ball, the exercise ball, (haha). As I write this it occurs to me that perhaps, on some level, January found me hibernating, attending to only the necessities, (work, eat, sleep, repeat). Too much time should not be wasted on why. No, I think it best to get back on the horse and keep moving forward. But before I go forward I will do a little up-to-dating. Here's what I've been working on in January:

I FINALLY printed an acceptable edition of this block which was carved several years ago.

24/7

Below is a color sketch of the piece I am presently working on. It is a triptych and each piece of the triptych is a two block reduction. The process has been a real mind bender for me, the piece is far from finished, and success at this point is uncertain.

And here are a few samples from my sketch book.

Little Black Dress

Wind

tenuous journey

Onward into February.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T07:14:00.000-08:00

Sincere intentions,

resolute declarations,
welcome the new year.

'tis the season - sketch XLIV

2010-12-23T06:01:00.000-08:00

'tis the season - sketch XLIII

2010-12-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

'tis the season - sketch XLII

2010-12-18T08:58:00.001-08:00

working overtime

2010-12-12T06:14:00.001-08:00

Sketches XXXIX and XL

2010-11-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Days and weeks can seem to pass in the blink of an eye, or so it seems in my little world. But I've done and seen some interesting things in the past couple of weeks. One of the most noteworthy was seeing Annie Bisset's exhibit, We Are Pilgrims, a suite of beautiful mokuhanga prints, at The Cullom Gallery in Seattle. I've also made a few trips to Tacoma to participate in the month-long, city wide art 'festival' where I attended an artist's talk by Janet Marcavage, a poetry reading and an interesting workshop entitled 'Time Management for Artists." All good things to be sure. And I have done a bit of sketching along the way. Here are two entries to bring me, sort of, up to date. My sleep has been out of whack lately. Can you tell?

Sleepers I

Sleepers II

Sketch XXXVIII

2010-11-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Housekeeping

I'm a slacker and have allowed myself to become overwhelmed by the other, less creative parts of my life. Day job, house stuff, oh, and i got another kitten. Henry asked me for a little sister or brother and how could i say no? Jolene joined the family but not without the sibling rivalry that inevitably results. Poor Henry has become very familiar with the squirt bottle and i have felt a kitten patrol officer. Honestly, what was i thinking? But seriously, could you say no to this?

Jolene

No time in the studio makes me cranky and then rusty and then fearful. The only way to blast through the roadblock is to, in the words of author, Anne Lamott, 'allow myself to make shit' and then sit down with a brush, a bottle of ink and a pad of newsprint and have at it. I did that yesterday and blasted out about 25 brush sketches. It was scary and difficult but worth it. Not for the work produced, but for what came after when I turned my attention to serious drawing for some new work, which I will share when the time is right.

1 of 25

'Tis the season - Sketch XXXVII

2010-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Witchie Woman

bing, bang, boom...

2010-10-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

Often, when a print is 'finished' I must put it away and not look at it for a few days, (or a week or several weeks). Most of the time the finished work doesn't match my 'vision', (whatever that means) and I'm left with a tinge of disappointment. In all honesty, I can name probably three pieces that, upon completion, one could have heard me shout, "viola!" This print was not one of them. It was put away for a few days and glanced at occasionally while working on a new project, but I have now come to a place where I can accept it for the print that it is. There are things I like about it, and other things I would do differently, but isn't that true with just about everything in life?

Spring Fever 1 - procrastination & Spring Fever 2, concentration

As of late I have turned my attention to bookmaking and am in the home stretch of making an accordion book of prints from blocks carved several years ago. I like making books in that it's a nice combination of creative abandon and precise technical skills, (not that all my angles are right angles, mind you). Whenever I finish a book and everything lines up and it looks pretty-okay, I feel as though something magical has happened. Here's a spread of two pages:

sink or swim - detail

Sadly, my sketchbook has been neglected, (she said shamefully, followed with a promise to rectify that situation straight away). Here's something from previous pages:

Floating Waitress

Oh Henry!

2010-10-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Henry is getting too big to work around. But, now that my 'September' print is almost complete, i can say with certainty, he vastly improves the image.

print, carve, print, carve....

2010-09-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

I'll never get this done by Friday.

bleh...

excuses, excuses...

2010-09-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

No need to list a bazillion reasons why I'm behind in my weekly posting. The photo explains it all, (well, to be completely honest, I also spent a little time catching up with past seasons of Mad Men)...

See the black blob and tail? That's Henry. Henry is sitting on the blocks I began carving last weekend. Henry is a cute, little roadblock in my creative process. My goal for this weekend is to complete the carving I started last weekend and add a bit more color and detail to the prints I began two weekends ago...

Spring Fever after three passes

And since I'm on an honesty kick, here are two sketches, one for last week, one for this week...

stop bugging me!

Mountain Pose

Happy weekend!

Sketch XXXIII

2010-09-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Busy week last week. My number-one-son moved home on Sunday only to get a job offer in the bay area on Monday. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of his unpacking and repacking I welcomed a new kitten into my home. His name is Henry. I forgot just how active kittens can be, (but oh how sweet). Add to that, a more hectic pace at the day job with all the preparations for the upcoming fall schedule. The holiday weekend found me juggling the above and working in my studio. My September print is well under way. Several times over the past week I spotted the Farmers Insurance blimp cruising through the sky. On the radio today I learned the blimp is in the area for scientific reasons, to look at whales in Puget Sound, and I learned the blimp now prefers to be called a zeppelin. Sounds to me like the blimp is getting uppity since becoming involved in scientific research. Pretty soon it will be Dr. Zeppelin.

Sketch XXXII

2010-09-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

The first of September, already! I've made two goals for this month. Number one, start and finish a diptych based on this sketch. Number two, get rid of the mulch pile in my driveway. I'll keep you posted.

Sketch XXXI

2010-08-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

Such a busy weekend! On Saturday...after riding 40 miles on my bike, I spent four hours pulling weeds and hauling mulch and rocks, (thanks to my dear, sweet neighbor who simply wants me to be the best i can be). On Sunday I attended the annual Seattle Print Arts picnic at Sidereal Press, ( a print shop/facility to die for!) after I attended Eva Pietzcker artist's talk and demonstration at Cullom Gallery. Eva is also a NAP alumni, and seeing her work and watching her demo was truly inspiring. Her exquisite prints reminded me of just how beautiful Japanese-style woodblock prints can be. The color, which permeates the paper, (and doesn't just sit on top of it as in oil based prints) is radiant, luminous. Since returning from Japan I have shied away from moku hanga. The intention has been there, but the courage has been lacking. My biggest fear has been sizing paper. After talking with Eva yesterday I realize my 'mountain' of paper sizing is really just a molehill, (and I'm kinda dumb.) Eva uses sized paper. This morning I hopped online, purchased some sized paper and am one step closer to hauling out my maru bakes, barens and sumi ink. Below is the announcement postcard for Eva's exhibit at the Cullom Gallery, (see it through October 9th!)

(detail) Baltic Sea, Moving Trees - Eva Pietzcker, 2009

Saturday Sketch XXX

2010-08-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, the professor of my Introduction to Drawing class gave an interesting and useful assignment...100 drawings of one object, (I chose a cardboard box). Looking back I understand what a brilliant assignment this was. After the first dozen or so drawings, one simply must 'get creative' to fulfill the 100 drawing quota! I've been reading Twyla Tharp's book, The Creative Habit, and in her chapter entitled, Ruts and Grooves I discovered Ms. Tharp suggests something similar. She says, "If you find yourself caught in a rut, what you really need is a new idea, and the way to get it is by giving yourself an aggressive quota for ideas." She then describes an exercise she uses when she lectures at colleges...she shows students an object (she used a stool in her example) and challenges them to come up with 60 uses for the object in two minutes. She finds there is a consistent order to the quality of ideas; the first being the most obvious, and the ideas closer to number 60, more imaginative and creative. The same was true with my 100 drawings of the cardboard box.
Lately I've found myself lost and uninspired, experiencing lots of fits and starts and getting absolutely nothing accomplished in my studio, the result of which is pessimism. (Twyla addresses pessimism too, she calls it 'the mother rut".) So earlier this week, in an attempt to just do something, I sat down at my drawing table with a stack of assorted sketchbooks, pens, brushes, pencils and paints, and spend an entire day doing nothing but drawing; sort of a combined variation on the 100 drawings and the 60 uses exercises. I don't have any wildly imaginative drawings to post, (would you believe the wildly imaginative ones are too large for my scanner?) but the day of drawing did propel me out of my malaise, and into a better place...out of my rut and searching for a groove.

Good news, bad news

2010-08-07T17:23:00.000-07:00

The good news: Sketch XXIX, actually posted on Saturday! The bad news: I can't seem to move beyond sketchbook mode. sigh.

Sketch XXVIII

2010-08-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

On a day that felt more like the first of September than the first of August it actually was, I pulled out a piece of copper and for the first time in more years than i want to admit, did a dry point sketch. I wouldn't say the result was 'successful', but the process was informative and fun. Me thinks I shall further explore this technique.

On another note, today, the smoke from the wild fires in British Columbia turned our Seattle sun an eerie and wonderful orange. I tried to take a picture but my camera went blind.

Sketch XXVII

2010-07-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

I can't come up with a clever defense for my belated post. Instead, here's a description of my present state, in haiku.

Scattered, capricious
irresolute, unsettled,
rambling, muddled, strewn.

Domestic update and Sketch XXVI

2010-07-10T15:03:00.001-07:00

This week I refinished my backyard deck. I figure I saved several dollars doing it myself. But, now that the job is done I am reminded of that saying, "you get what you pay for." Still, it looks a lot better than it did just one week ago, with the bonus of no more risking life and limb stepping out the back door only to slip and slide on icky moss and mildew! Perhaps the 'sprucing up' will make my back yard less attractive to raccoons. Speaking of which, tired of happening upon piles of raccoon skat, I've had two raccoon traps installed in my backyard. So far I've caught two cats and a squirrel.

The weather has changed and it is now summertime in the northwest. With the sunshine and warm temperatures I find that my energy for domestic chores is waning. Oh, the bloated chore list still looms; every time I turn a corner in my humble dwelling some new or existing task requiring toil, sweat and elbow grease jumps out at me. Lately, my typical response is to cover my eyes and run in the opposite direction. My energy these days leans more in the direction of watching The Tour, drinking lemon water, reading suspense novels and, one of my favorite summertime activities, spitting cherry pits.

Sketch XXV, one and two

2010-07-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have a doodle pad at work. It was made from paper that would otherwise end up in the recycling bin. Recycling is good, right? But, I'm still bothered seeing paper in the bin that is blank on one side. So, I fish it out of the bin, trim it to a convenient size, clip the sheets together and keep this ever growing doodle pad next to my phone. The minute I pick up the phone to take a call, I pick up a pen. Sometimes my phone calls require serious and important notes, other times not. It is during those less serious calls that I doodle. At home it has been a busy week for me, what with two cars in the shop, yard sale preparations, deck cleaning and raccoon hunting, I've had little time with my sketch book; so today I'm sharing a couple of my telephone doodles.

Sketch XXIV

2010-06-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

I have returned from my travels and am slowly readjusting to my 'real' life. Amazingly, this is not as easy as it sounds....for me. I was appalled that the grass continued to grow while i was away! The same goes for bills arriving in my mailbox and food decaying in my refrigerator! Add to that, rusty drawing skills after not picking up my sketchbook for 10 days, and you have the perfect recipe for one unhappy mama.

Sisters, after Theodore Chasseriau

Sketch XXII and XXIII

2010-06-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

This week has been consumed with out of town family gatherings. The busy days have left my sketchbook lonely and neglected. But my children are with me and more than once I have happened upon them doodling away or painting postcards to send home to friends. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. So this week I am posting some of their work.

A's watercolor sketch of the Salt Flats

M's fanciful doodles

Sketch XXI

2010-06-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I read an article about productivity. The author interviewed some big-wig executives and the latter divulged the secrets of their success. Some of the big-wigs waxed philosophical and hardly made sense at all; others described their over-achieving lifestyles of getting up for a 3:30 workout, followed by a 25 mile bike ride, returning home in time to make whole grain waffles for the kids before dropping them off at school on the way to the office. Ridiculous, right? But, remarkably, I did read one interesting approach to productivity that I have tried to put into practice over the past few weeks. One executive, (can't remember who; should've taken notes) said she uses a to-do list, (I love lists, so of course this caught my eye) but she doesn't prioritize her list. She reasons that every item on the to-do is important, so by focusing on the item she has the most energy for, her productivity will be at its highest.
Me and to-do lists go way back, but I've always prioritized my lists. I got to thinking, 'how much time have i wasted prioritizing my to-do list?' So I decided to try the 'executive' approach. My energy in recent days has definitely tended toward the domestic. In the past few weeks I have cleaned closets, sorted through years of clutter, and I have spent hours and hours doing yard work. I've spent some time in my studio too, but not nearly as much time as I've spent hauling mulch. Consider this my excuse for posting my Saturday sketch on Wednesday. My sketch is late, but my front yard looks awesome.

Looking back...6/3/09

2010-06-03T21:14:00.001-07:00

One year ago today I was beginning a one-month printmaking workshop in Florence. Please, can I please do that again, please? Perhaps it was jet lag, but there were moments in my first hours in Italy when I wondered what the heck i was doing there...when i wondered if participating in printmaking workshop with people half my age was a stroke of genius or a really stupid idea. Not too soon after those first desperate moments I, "got over it" and immediately began to relish every single second of my time there. My month of days was comprised of mornings viewing Michelangelo, Botticelli, Bernini, the de Medici's, Ferragamo, and SO much more, followed by afternoons spent immersed in serious studio work. How did I ever get so lucky?!?! It's not easy to take photos of the exquisite art in Florence, (no photo, no photo!) and really, why bother? It's like trying to take a picture of the Grand Canyon...you just can't capture it. But postcards are readily available. I have a collection. Here are two of my favorites...

One of my favorite sights...
Deposizione
Jacopo Pontormo
Santa Felicita, Firenze

The Duomo, a full moon ...and kittens!

Over the next month I anticipate there will be many, "ah, Firenze!" moments.
Please, can I please do that again, please?

Saturday Sketch XX

2010-05-29T20:34:00.001-07:00

intricate exchange

speaking with my fingertips
a judicious task

Saturday Sketch XIX

2010-05-22T22:13:00.001-07:00

Polka-dots with a purpose

Next Sunday...

2010-05-16T16:43:00.001-07:00

Sketch XVIII

2010-05-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Her heart is too big for her sleeve

On a totally unrelated note, I spent some time in my yard today, pulling weeds and generally clearing a pathway from the back yard to the front. Dabbling in the genteel art of gardening can be quite satisfying. I'd post a picture of the results of my attempt to reign in mother nature, but without a 'before' picture, I fear it would be quite meaningless. But the bigger news is, there is a raccoon living under my deck! The reason I know this is, I've seen this critter saunter through my back yard four times now and when I ask it what it's doing in my yard it just looks at me and runs under the deck. I'm thinking it's a she-raccoon and that there is a brood of babies in a cozy little nest under there. But I've heard that if you see a raccoon in the daytime it could be rabid. And if that's the case, then spending all that time in my yard today was very risky and dangerous. Two things I've always considered yard work to be.

Sketch XVII

2010-05-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

This week I have been going through my house, ruthlessly tossing out years of clutter. It feels good.

Sketch XVI

2010-05-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it sometimes feel like all the pieces and parts of your life have been thrown in a bowl (a bowl big enough to hold 27 years of experiences) and tossed about like some great big cosmic salad? No? Maybe it's just me.

A Tossed Life

Sketch XV

2010-04-25T07:30:00.001-07:00

It has been a whirlwind week for me; so whirlwind-ish, I had little time for sketching; so little time for sketching that I am forced to cheat; a double-whammy cheat in that not only is my post a day late, it's also an older sketch; a sketch I passed over for posting a while back; a pencil sketch! (I have no idea if I used proper punctuation in that sentence.) Please forgive, (both the late posting and the improper use of semi-colons). This week promises to be less hectic; my sketchbook and flair pens are ready and waiting.

Old dog, new trick

It's over.

2010-04-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

My print and I have had a good run but it is time to go our separate ways. Oh sure, there were good times, but there were some tough times too. I think we learned a few things and are both better for the experience. So, after a little drying time, my print will head off to the framer. As for me, I already have my sites set on my next conquest.

Peaceful Warrior

16" x 8"
Woodcut

Sketch XIV

2010-04-17T21:01:00.001-07:00

"Self" portrait

Sketch XIII

2010-04-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

Still thinkin' on spring.

Sketch XII

2010-04-03T16:13:00.001-07:00

The double page spread of my sketch book would not fit on my very old HP printer/scanner so below is my attempt at creating a panorama in Photoshop. Could I have done better? Probably, but not without angst and hair pulling.

Spring Fever

Sketch XI

2010-03-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Every so often someone drops off a box or bag of books at the church where I work. (Perhaps people believe these donations somehow help the church or needy folks who contact the church for assistance. In my experience, desperate people call the church looking for help with things like, paying their rent or their utility bills. Never has anyone called in need of used books. But I digress.) Some of these books we keep and place in the children's library, others, if appropriate, we put in the adult library. The rest are free for the taking and what's left goes to a local second hand shop. Recently, in one bag of books I found a small compendium entitled, Treasures of the Louvre. I claimed it and look through it during idle moments. Today's sketch is inspired by a character, in a painting, in the book. Can you guess the painting, the artist?

sketch inspired by The Cheat by Georges de La Tour

My print and I have made up, but we are taking things slow.

Sketch X

2010-03-20T20:28:00.001-07:00

On Monday I started drawing in a new sketchbook. Although I've used this same size and brand of sketchbook many times in the past, adjusting to the larger size and different format has been a bit disorienting. All the white space in this week's sketch attests to that. I had grown quite fond of the little square sketchbook I had been using; which I chose just to shake things up a bit. Time for more shaking I suppose. It has been an interesting week with moments that have left me feeling off kilter, exposed, at risk; this too is evident in today's entry.

Today I spent most of the day working on my newest print. I fear our budding romance has hit a bump in the road, and simply put, we are not getting along. I hope tomorrow we can kiss and make up.

Sketch IX

2010-03-13T23:41:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I took a van, a boat and a bus to Holden Village in the Cascade mountains. There I spent a fun-filled weekend with members of my book group. I had hoped to get in a lot of drawing, maybe play with some of my new colored pencils and water colors, instead I spent most of my time playing in the snow. The sky was clear, the sun was warm and really, the best place to be was outside, hiking up and down the trails. The evenings found our group sharing warm conversation over glasses of boxed wine, along with playing several rousing games of Bananagrams. My sketchbook was mostly neglected, but I did manage to dash off a scribble or two.

I hit the ground running upon my return; lots happening at work and at home, but still managed to get a bit of studio time in. I have made one color pass on my new woodcut, (I'm still in love with it) and i will share images of my progress after there is a bit more to show.
According to my computer it's 11:57pm on Saturday. Hooray, I'm getting this post in just under the wire!
PS. Don't forget to spring forward!

Sketch VIII

2010-03-04T22:48:00.000-08:00

I'm off to commune with nature, so the Saturday sketch submission is a bit early. In my day pack, along with the ten essentials I've packed my sketchbook, pencils, watercolors and flair pens for I intend to do a bit of sketching. Back in the studio, my blocks and paper are prepared; next I'll begin carving.

Learning something new

2010-03-02T06:14:00.001-08:00

This Saturday past, I attended a Solorplate workshop at Pressworks, a printmaking co-op in Seattle. Pressworks has existed for over twenty-five years and prides itself in being a toxic-free studio. As my last year demonstrates, I am always up for learning new printmaking techniques. While I might not use my new found skills immediately, it's always nice to have something in the 'toolbox' I can pull out at a later date. What interested me in trying this technique was its quickness, its relative low toxicity and its potential for reproducing a nice 'etched' line. On many levels, it did not disappoint. It's fast! In the five hour workshop I was able to make and proof two 5" x 7" plates, plus several smaller test plates, one of which you can see below. It's clean! No acid is needed to 'etch' the plate, just light and water. The line quality is okay, but certainly not as fine as what you can get with a zinc or copper plate and acid.

Solarplate test

If I have one complaint it's that there is not much interaction with the plate. I love hacking away at a piece of wood or linoleum; I love scraping away at a metal plate; this method has none of that. Still, it was a fun day.
Last night I began transferring an image to wood for a new print. I like beginning a new piece, it feels just like falling in love, and who doesn't like that?

Sketch VII

2010-02-27T18:13:00.001-08:00

Today's sketch and clouds from today's sunset.

Bad hair day.

Sketch VI

2010-02-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

My sketch book has become my studio. Fortunately, I can get there just about every day.

Sketch V

2010-02-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Is it Sunday already? Yesterday found me roaming the soggy streets of Tacoma, visiting art museums and eating cupcakes. Alas, my Saturday sketch was forgotten in the midst of such excitement, so i apologetically present my weekly sketch one day late. This week I've been obsessed with scissors. What is my subconscious telling me?

While roaming the streets of Tacoma I also found this lovely gum valentine. Love is a sticky thing.
Happy Valentines Day.

Saturday Sketch III

2010-02-06T07:32:00.001-08:00

Not much work getting done in my studio, (grrr) and hopefully that will soon change. But I do continue to sketch. See below.

Saturday Sketch II

2010-01-30T20:51:00.001-08:00

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

Saturday Sketch

2010-01-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday I visited a middle school art class. The teacher is a friend of mine and she will soon be starting a unit on linoleum relief printmaking, so she thought her students might like to meet a "real" artist. She asked me to talk about my life as an artist, how I approach a new piece of work, and to present a carving demonstration. Middle school hasn't changed much in the many decades since it was my turn. The cool kids still sit in the back of the room; the eager, geeky types sit in the front, ask questions and make often times, silly observations; the outcasts, definitely-not-cool and those who don't really fit into a 'group' sit quietly on the sides. (I'll tell you here I fell somewhere between the eager, geeky and the definitely-not-cool types. ) On this day I stood at the front of the room talking and demonstrating and in a very strange way, felt very much like my definitely-not-cool younger self. In other words, it was a tough crowd. But I got through the afternoon and was once again thankful that I decided not to be a middle school art teacher, (yes, I did once seriously consider it). Not just because middle school is sort of like the wasteland of the school years (is there anything more difficult, more mortifying than being between the ages of 11 and 14?!) but also because i just get so tired of talking!
When I entered her classroom, I was happy to see that my friend has a daily sketch exercise for her students. At the front of the room, on a large drawing pad is a sketch the kids are asked to recreate in their sketch journals. Usually the sketch they are asked to copy illustrates something like, shading, overlapping, or perspective. While I try to pack a lot of information into these talk/demonstrations I am occasionally asked to do, the one thing I always emphasize to these often less than interested young minds is the importance of keeping a daily sketch journal. I usually bring a few of mine along and show them how ideas from weeks and months ago can make their way into a current piece of work. I show them now an image can develop with repeated sketching. I encourage them to cut and paste, copy, doodle and write, every day! Now, how many actually hear me and start a daily sketch practice I may never know. But, (cue the violins) if I can reach just one, then the humiliation of speaking to a room of stony faced adolescents has been worth it.
Since I have a daily sketch practice I thought I might start a new feature here on my blog: the Saturday sketch. It goes something like this, each Saturday I will post one of my sketches from the previous week. I am hoping to kill two birds with one stone by establishing some accountability to both my daily sketch practice and to regular blog posting. With that I present my first Saturday sketch.

Art beneath your feet

2010-01-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Japanese do drain covers right! I couldn't help but notice the lovely drain covers on both Awaji Island and in Kobe. Apparently the entire country of Japan is resplendent with artfully designed drain covers. Here are a few forwarded to me from Laura Boswell, my NAP best buddy, who was lucky enough to travel as a tourist after our two months on Awaji Island.

My thoughts return to Awaji

2010-01-06T05:47:00.000-08:00

Japan has been on my mind a lot lately. On our walks, Laura and I would sometime kvetch about the inconveniences of our life on Awaji Island and the struggles we had with the culture and language differences. We agreed that we would never want to 'live' there. Now that I am home for six weeks and have been overwhelmed by 'real' life I can think of nothing I would rather do more than return to my life on Awaji Island where the focus of every day was working in the studio. Truly, the most difficult adjustment I've had to make since returning home has been going from mono-focus (moku hanga) to multi-focus, (day-job, home, divorce, holidays, bills). The time I've spent with my three wonderful children has been the bright spot in this difficult period of adjustment.
Japan has been on my mind for another reason also. I recently learned that one of my moku hanga teachers, Takade-sensei, passed away on the last day of 2009. Just the other day I was going through objects and mementos from my recent days in Japan (yes, I am still unpacking) and I took time to admire the print he made for us during his demonstration. He was a patient sensei, a kind and generous man. The outpouring of condolences and support from the Nagasawa Art Park Program Alumni has been astounding. Takade-sensei's gentle and generous spirit touched many lives. I feel blessed at having had the opportunity to learn from him. Farewell, kind sensei.

sorting pictures

2009-12-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

Still clawing my way back to normal life after two months in Japan. Today I've dabbled in sorting some of my pictures and came across this picture of an Awaji Island sunset. The view from my room. All i can say is wow.

Final editions...

2009-11-19T00:24:00.000-08:00

I began printing my final editions last week. Being very unsure of myself, the first edition took me three days to print. It came together nicely until the very last passage of color, then it all sort of fell apart. I was quite disappointed to end up with only four decent prints after starting out with a possible 14. I am not a superstitious person, but the final passage was printed on Friday, November 13. Discouraged but not defeated, I began the second edition in the wee hours, the following morning. The second edition came together very well and after a 16 hour stint in the studio, I completed 12 decent prints. I am not a superstitious person, but decided to approach the third edition in exactly the same fashion. After another 16 hour day, the third edition of prints was completed; this time I was left with 10. I learned a lot during these marathon days of printing and decided to have another go at the first image, which went much better the second time around. In the end, each image is an edition of eight. All in all, I spent six long days printing my final editions. Below is an image of each. I was inspired by the triptychs shown to us by Mr Ueba-san, our printing sensei, and wanted to create three pieces that could be viewed alone or together. Unfortunately the right edge of the first image was cropped, leaving out the knee of the woman in image two, but i think you can get the gist...

Palisade Tea Party, 1, 2 & 3
28cm x 21 cm
6 blocks
8 -12 passes
8 - 11 colors

The countdown begins

2009-11-10T03:57:00.000-08:00

Only ten days left here in on Awaji Island, Japan. The pace has quickened and the anxiety level has risen considerably now that we are all in the home stretch and working on our final editions. As part of the program we are required to create three editions using the moku hanga technique and donate three pieces of each edition to the Awaji City art collection. For the past four or five days I have been proofing and editing my blocks, making decisions about color and deciding the order in which to print the blocks. It is not easy, but I think I have reached the point where all I can do is dive in and get started...tomorrow. Below are a few pictures of my fellow residents hard at work and a few more from last week's outing to the Awagami Paper Factory.

We visited the handmade paper studio at the Awagami Paper Factory and watched three paper makers make a sheet of paper 2.5m x 5.5m. It is called Gregory paper, after the artist who originally commissioned it, and is the largest handmade paper in Japan.

We then got to try our hand at paper making. Here we are receiving a demonstration.

I've always considered paper making wet and sloppy...it is.

Back in the studio...receiving some instruction from Keiko-san.

Levi-san wields his hangi-to.

Niccolo does some excellent carving.

Laura making aesthetic decisions.
As I am writing this, Laura has completed two of her three editions!

At the end of our long days in the studio we enjoy dinner together.