New Print: Listening

This new print combines etching and linoleum block printing! I haven't had much opportunity to really explore etching since, well, undergrad, and I missed it. Aquatint, grounds, stop out, spit bite, scraping...there is just nothing like working a plate. It's like working (developing) a drawing, but the history and palimpsest is in the metal, it has a palpable presence in three dimensions (albeit, a low-relief sort of presence).

But I can run my hand across the surface and feel the drawing. It has dimensionality. When printed, that dimensionality is transferred, so the ink manifests the corporeality of the drawing.



I love contrasting processes - the flat planes of relief printing on top of the more atmospheric aquatint. Layering these contrasts, to me, is the most exciting. It is where the image becomes the most exhilarating and tenebrous.



God, I've missed etching.

This print is actually on paper made from the first test batch of pulp I made in my beater! It was just some cotton linter I beat to test Dulcinea out, found it sitting in drawer over the winter and thought it was the perfect size for this plate. Which is another thing I love to do, use something that I've been saving because I didn't have a use for it yet.

In other news - I've been updating the website. Check out here for my new prints section. More to come!

Understanding

(source)

New Artist Book: Tamalpais

A new little book made out of waste prints from this. For anyone unfamiliar with the term "waste print" - when a printmaker pulls an edition of prints - often some are discarded from the final tally because of slight irregularities. Traditionally, these were discarded or destroyed.

However, as an artist, I find opportunity in these waste prints. I figure, I've already messed it up somehow, why not use it for a basis for experimentation? I can only make it better. So I draw on them, or use them for collage, or in this case, cut up them up and fold them into an artist book.

For larger views, click on the images.



I was a little unsure what to do with the repetition of imagery, and decided to make the book a sort of meditation, with the mountain being a visual focal point as well as a metaphor.



With this new work, I'm trying to be be less linear in narrative, to leave open up the stories I tell visually, and actually, leave some gaps for viewers to fill in with their own intuition or background. Some older imagery is returning in the prints I'm working on right now, I'm circling back while entering a new phase at the same time.

Between two poems

Spent the past week sort of in the middle of these two poems by Wendell Berry.

The Real Work

It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.

Wendell Berry

What We Need Is Here

Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye,
clear. What we need is here.

Wendell Berry

I know the way to San Jose

Every time I go to San Jose, I find myself humming this song. This is an extremely belated post about my workshop at the San Jose ICA Print Center back in February. Above is their lovely press, that still needs a name.

The workshop began on a Thursday evening, where I gave a introduction to relief and showed examples, both real and virtual. Kim Munson took some excellent photos - see them here.

Friday, attendees had a chance to gather materials and consider their ideas. Saturday was dedicated to carving.



One or two students managed to print on Saturday, but Sunday was the real printing extravaganza.

First, we tried some experiments with blind embossing (no ink).



Then, printed like crazy.



So many prints!



There was also an amazing show of mezzotints by Judith Rothchild, and as well as an amazing-crazy paper installation by Val Britton and a show called Parallax Views, that was being installed at the time, but is now up, which includes work by Tracey!

Judith Rothchild mezzotints:



Val Britton:



I also got a real kick out of this poster, leftover from a previous exhibition.



The Print Center offers a variety of workshops - to see a listing, visit here. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Kim Munson for all her organizing and assistance. I'm hoping, now that things are calming down, to offer a papermaking workshop there soon. Check back here for updates!

Collage and Play

I had a realization recently about my recent studio practice. I've been fortunate to have so many opportunities of late, but since I have to work, my studio time has been focused solely on projects, and finishing said projects by deadlines. I've been concentrating on accomplishment. It's been a while since I just played as an artist, with no goal in mind.

I used to make a point of every time I came into the studio, to start with what I called "pointless drawings." Pointless because they remained outside of projects, the only goal was to practice drawing and preserve a fresh outlook. Yet, I've gotten away from that in the past year.

My pieces for Win Win! (see post) made me remember how much I love collage. While I was making them, I started playing.



Fulmination

Some of these started because I'd have leftover paint on the palette, and didn't want it to go to waste.



Trinitite I

I really tried to give into the process of just making, and ignore the voice in my head that said I should be Doing Something Important.



Trinitite II


I've also been thinking some of the ideas here, about how life outside of the studio informs the practice. Play helps us retain a sense of wonder, necessary to making.



Trinitite III

So a renewed goal - to remember my pointless drawings. Play is the whole point.

Win Win at NIAD

The NIAD Art Center has a fundraiser coming up called Win Win! For this event, artists were given 6"x 6" canvases to create works of art that attendees will be able to select and take home. For my contribution, I dusted off the ole collage skills and made the following three pieces out of paint, handmade paper and leftover prints.



It was sort of funny to realize, since I'm not a painter and was just using leftover supplies from a LONG time ago, what I actually had left. For instance, no yellow. But I made it work.

The Win Win! preview takes place May 9-10, with a party on May 11 from 4-6 PM, at Cliff Bar and Company, 1451 66th Street in Emeryville, CA. For tickets, or to see some of the artwork in advance, visit here.