Getting around to it

I'm finally getting around to working on that spider linocut that I made a few months ago.  I spoke to the grad students to day and then spent the rest of the day cleaning the old motorized Brand in the drawing studio.  It will be on this press that I will teach printmaking in the fall.   Once clean,  I made a proof of the monoprints I will make soon.  

 All this monoprint proof is missing is the multi-coloured smear to demonstrate the "after."   I think it's coming right along.

Proofing and paper

So I couldn't find any kind of paper with the right qualities here in town, specifically 300gsm 100% cotton buff paper.  I was almost resigned to printing it on white until the guy in the art supply store suggested that I stain the paper with tea.

Then it all became so clear...since this is a coffee themed  thank you, why no stain the paper with coffee?  this is what 95-ish pieces of 5"x7" BFK look like in 72 cups of coffee.

And here is the first proof of the cut printed.  Final proof and printing tomorrow, once I fish all of the paper out of the coffee.  Also,  I think the ink needs to be more brown. 

Wouldn't fit

I couldn't fit all of the copy "Thank you and best wishes," so I guess they'll only be getting thank yous.  Either way, I think this is shaping up to be a pretty solid little cut (one of my best yet).

Getting there

Eight hours in, about another eight to go.  The real victories here are the nose and the eyes, but then I suppose that painting a dog isn't too far off painting a human, it still has to bear a resemblance and capture the character of the sitter.  Once I start on the mouth, I think the whole thing is really going to take shape.

Progress

I had forgotten how much I enjoy oil painting.



It's slow going, but if nothing else, it looks like a 13 year-old golden retriever.

Buffalo 66

Sometimes the pictures just make themselves.  Makes me want to start carrying my camera around again.

Portraits On Commission

Here's a sketch of a dog for a commissioned portrait I'm about to begin working on.  The studio building flooded this week, but my space escaped most of the water.