Testing for the first time a two-color print on my in-progress Sarracenia pitcher plant mezzotint. I don't have the exact final green with me, but it's close enough. I was mostly interested in testing the blending between them, and how the red would fare as it's a color that often shifts on copper. And indeed it's a bit dull, I'll have to try some tricks.
But overall I'm very happy with it! The engraving itself needs more work, to better define details, increase some local contrast, and finish cleaning the remaining parts of the halo. But it's nearly there ^^
#BlackHistoryMonth is a great time to celebrate astronaut Mae Carol Jemison (born October 17, 1956) a physician who became the first Black woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour for NASA, on September 12, 1992! She also has a B.S. in chemical engineering, served in the Peace Corps, is a dancer and choreographer, 🧵
I started working on a new mezzotint. I'm going experimental with this one, and when it's finished I plan to print it in two colors inked simultaneously. We'll see if it works 🤞
The internet is filled with so much slop, I'm going to give another go at blogging--even though if i was smart, I'd just unplug everything and read books instead
Sorry for being such a grump today--will be back to my happy self tomorrow!
A beautiful wood engraving by
@JohnAltringham featuring one reminded me how much I love stiles, these structures built in walls and fences to only let humans pass. So I made an etching.
Stiles are very uncommon in France, they are forever linked for me to dear memories of hiking in the British countryside. Crossing one is always a happy micro-event in itself, reminding us how great it is to be able to roam around. And also, how elegant some devices can be in their simplicity.
Black ink print of an etching, showing a British-ish countryside landscape, with a rocky hill in the distance, a field in the middle, and, taking two thirds of the picture, a stone wall with a stile in it.
Little wood engraving carved for a friend's very loved whippet Colin who left our world this week, now flying amongst the stars. Hoping to print from it in a few days.
Small wood block held in a hand with an engraving tool. The surface is stained black so the carved bits show up wood coloured, it depicts a whippet in his collared coat, harness and collar, with constellations around him.
I haven't posted monotypes for a while, so here is one, plus a phantom print that turned out IMO as great as the first print.
This image is inspired by dear memories of seeing the shipwreck that lies on the coast of Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands, but I voluntarily didn't look at any ref or at my old photos, so it's probably not so close to the real stuff.
Still on the faithful 30 x 17 cm copper plate I used for nearly all of them.
Print in black ink of six tall, slender standing stones, part of stone circle. The stones and the ground have some realism. The sky is more graphically represented by horizontal line that increases in width as they rise through cumulus clouds.
photo of a blocky relief print of two sunflowers made with legos. large light blue rectangles in the background show through two subtly different shades of yellow petals
Epiphany is time for my #linocut of Perchta, also known as Frau Perchta or Berchta (or Bertha in English), a figure from Alpine folklore, who visits during the 12 days of Christmas. Her name may come from “the bright one” or the German word for the feast of the Epiphany and her history is linked to white robbed goddesses like Holda who oversaw spinning and weaving or the goddess Frigg and she emerged from Germanic and 🧵
My linocut card of Perchta in pale blue on white agains a background of birch trees. She is illustrated like a playing card with two versions: right side up young and beautiful, with crown, fur coat and holding a flame in her hand and upside down a terrifying crone in a hood with a knife. Text at the top reads “Happy Holidays” and at the bottom “Perchta.”
“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.” These are words I often live by. My son recently started experimenting with #linocut printing and made me this for Xmas. I framed it and hung it on my shop wall with some other maker art. #maker#printmaking#woodworking#framing
A workshop scene featuring various framed prints with quotes about craftsmanship, a sign reading "Empire of Dust," and a red Maker emblem. There is a wooden structure on the wall, a power tool on a work surface, and a tool named X-Carve
Art projects don't always go as planned--especially PRINTMAKING projects.
I've been making one-minute-long videos--to give you a peek into my studio--and also improve my storytelling/video craftsmanship (still so much to learn!)
A new 2025 print for #artAdventCalendar with a winter solstice story. In the Gaelic mythology of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, the divine old woman, or hag, created the landscape itself and the storms and weather of winter. Known by many names, she is the Cailleach (literally the old woman or hag) or Cailleach Bhéarra in Ireland, she is Cailleach Bheurra, or The Hag of Beara or Beira, 🧵 #linocut#printmaking#folklore#folktale#Cailleach#winter#Beira#WinterSolstice#mastoArt
My Lino block print on 8” x 10” Japanese paper shows a blue-black frame with Celtic knot in each corner with the words “The Cailleach” at the top and “Beira Queen of Winter” at the bottom in lettering inspired by Gothic Celtic letters. Inside the frame is my illustration of the Old Hag, the Cailleach marching across the rocky, hilly landscape in a winter storm in two shades of blue. She wears a cloak and great plaid and has her staff in her right hand and her hammer in the left. She has blue skin and copper coloured teeth and grimaces in the wind indicated by swirling lines. There is snow falling and the land behind her is inspired by the Hag’s Head geologic feature named for her.
For #ArtAdventCalendar Day 21 our winter solstice: This is a linocut with collaged Japanese washi papers of a procession of Kolędnicy, or Kolęda carollers through the woods to honour the sun at Winter Solstice. The tradition, also known as Koliada or kolędowanie, dates to pre-Christian times but is now become associated with Christmas and usually celebrated Christmas Eve to Epiphany. 🧵
This is my linocut print with collaged Japanese washi papers of a procession of Kolędnicy, or Kolęda carollers through the woods to honour the sun at Winter Solstice. This print is inspired by Polish festivals but there are different versions of this across a wider region. Groups of carollers go singing from house to house with a homemade star on a pole held high and in several traditional costumes. This group in a boy in long coat holding a colourful star lantern on a pole, a devil, a turón, a bear and a crane. In Polish folklore, the Turoń, which is the black, horned and shaggy animal with a flopping jaw is common at folk events including Kolęda, in times of Carnival and before Lent begins. The name comes from the word tur, meaning aurochs, an extinct ancestor of modern cattle. Carolling with the star on a pole was called “gwiazdory." Each print is 9.25" by 12.5" on Japanese washi paper with collaged paper for colours.
Bonus #artAdventCalendar: For the first day of winter, it’s the myth of Persephone. This is a linocut of the Greek myth of Persephone. The ancient Greek goddess Persephone, beloved daughter of Demeter was kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld, and taken to his home where she was tempted with many delicious items. The pomegranate proved the most irresistible and sealed her fate. 🧵
This is my linocut of the Greek myth of Persephone holding an opened pomegranate. The block was inked 'à la poupée', with different colours applied directly to a single block. Persephone is deep indigo, with red pomegranate, lips and poppy and golden wheat.
Day 18 #artAdventCalendar my #linocut of Marie Meudrac (c. 1610-1680), a woman in science right at the transition between alchemy & chemistry. Born to a land-owning family, she moved to the Château de Grosbois after marrying, where she became good friends with Countess de Guiche. She wrote ‘La Chymie Charitable et Facile, en Faveur des Dames’ [Easy Charitable Chemistry for Ladies]. She had her own lab where she tested all her remedies & 🧵
My linocut portrait of Marie Meurdrac in her laboratory is printed on 11” x 14” white Japanese paper in a gradient of dark blue at the bottom to gold at the top. A 17th century lady in a dress with hair piled on top of her head is leaning on a table with head resting on one hand as she reads a book. She is surrounded by tools of her trade like vessels of various shapes, scales and has shelves of jars with alchemical symbols on them. There is text, carved in reverse with elongated s’s with a quotation, ‘Les Esprits n’ont point de sexe’ (or minds have no sexe… that is, one’s sex is irrelevant to the ability to think and learn). There are medicinal plants (rosemary and tansy) hanging above her. In the furnace are flames, tongs and crucible.
Another 2025 print for #artAdventCalendar, here’s one I made for Folktale Week: My 8” x 10” hand-carved and hand-printed lino block print illustration of the beloved fairytale East of the Sun, West of the Moon shows the bewitched polar bear prince holding the charm, a magic silver bell along with his bride with the aurora in the night sky beyond them. 🧵
My 8” x 10” Lino block print ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon.’ It shows a standing polar bear facing forward with one arm around a girl with braids in a dress and a bell between his paws. It’s printed in a dark blue-black. The girl has round pink cheeks. There’s a hint of silver for the bell. Behind the bear the aurora glows green.