Detours - ART and Otherwise

ART DETOUR
I want to share news of my art being shown in Phoenix...some at 515 Arts and some at the Arizona Center in downtown Phoenix.  Both events are part of the annual ART DETOUR where artists open their studios or fill traditional and non-traditional spaces with art for the weekend.  This weekend, March 16-18th will be rocking with art downtown.  I will be at 515 Arts at 515 E. Roosevelt all afternoon on Saturday.  Stop by and see what all 515 Artists are showing.

The Arizona Print Group will be showing framed and unframed work at the Arizona Center, Friday night, Saturday till 5 and Sunday till 5.  I plan to be there Sunday.  The Arizona Center is bounded by Van Buren on the South, Fillmore on the North, 5th Street on the East, and 3rd Street on the West. Free Parking thoughout the weekend of the Art Detour.
OUR HOUSE SOLD
We have a contract on our house.  The inspection is Friday.  If all goes well, we will close April 26th.  Of course, we haven't done much house hunting but it is starting for real now.  We may have to put our belongings in storage if we don't find the right house soon enough, but I am trying to keep an open heart so that whatever happens, it will be the right thing.
MY DAD
My 6 day trip to visit my 96-year-old Dad has turned into 33 days.  It has been a difficult, stressful and wonderful experience.  He fell the day after I got to Cincinnati.  After 10 days in the hospital, he chose to go into hospice. My brother (North Carolina) and sister (California) have come and together we are seeing Dad off to meet Mom.  We are spending time with Dad as we can, going back to our respective homes and returning as needed.  This last time with Dad is precious.  He laughs everyday.  He appreciates all his visitors who come. They pay tribute to the man he is and friend he has been.  Everyday has been a blessing, especially this past week.  But for me, after 33 days, I need to come home to Phoenix.  Tomorrow, Wednesday, will be very hard, to leave before my Dad.  Praying for a gentle passage.

Change Afoot and Two Shows Opening in February!

 The year is starting out on surprisingly positive footings so far.  A few days ago we signed to put our house on the market.  It is time for us to downsize.  I was encouraged by what the realtors we interviewed said about our chances.  So big changes are coming on the home front and also on the art front as well.  Marlys will be moving into the studio house so I need to vacate my space there.  While it is really sad to think that we won't be together in that great space anymore, I am holding all good thoughts that I will end up where I need to be.

Manny Burruel, Artist

Diana Hartley, Artist

Rossitza Todorova, Artist

On the excellent start front, I have two shows opening this month.  A LITTLE RELIEF opens Friday at Copper Star Coffee.  It was the exhibition Marlys and I conceived and took to Flagstaff last September.  We held it over to show Phoenix.  This invitational show features reduction linocuts, by artists from Arizona, California and Nevada.  These great little works of art are priced the same, unframed at $100 and framed at $140.  The opening reception is from 6-9 Friday, Feb 3rd.  Come by for a cup of coffee and some truly original works of art.

Susan Hartenhoff, Artist

The second exhibition, at the Shemer Art Center is a Statewide Juried Print Competition.  The print I just completed, "Sunbather", was accepted into this show, which made me very happy!  The artist reception is Tuesday, Feb 14th from 7 to 9 pm.  Bring your sweetie by to see some excellent printmaking by Arizona artists.  See the sidebar for more information.

"Sunbather"

Final updates on my 10 x 10 inch print:  Colors 9 (green) and 10 (medium blue) went down on Friday.  I originally planned a bright blue swimsuit and pool tile but it just looked out of place, so I toned it down with some grey.  Feedback along the way has been to stop with whatever color is there on the bushes/trees.  But I continued with my original plan...and printed the darkest color (11, a dark blue/green) on the bushes/trees, and the inner part of the pool.  But it was too harsh and put it all on the same plane which just looked wrong.  So I added a bunch of transparent base and it lightened just right.  That added the 12th and final color.

"Sunbather"

I have forgiven my mistakes on this print, and there have been several.  Most you won't notice.  One mistake I did have to make up for was cutting off the wheel of the front lounge before I printed the last color.  BIG oopsie.  So I cut out a hole in the gomuban and popped in a new piece and carved out the proper wheel remainder and voila!  Fixed!  I just realized that this is the most colors I have ever used on a reduction print. It was nice to be able use all the layers I thought I needed.  But I also like the challenge of doing prints with 2 or 3 or 4 colors.  Getting your image across with just a few colors is more of an artistic challenge, rather than the technical challenge of more colors.  Anyway, I love this print.  For me, it felt like I was spending time with my Mom everyday I worked on this.  It was wonderful having her around.

More on the 10 x 10

I am tardy in posting my progress.  The non-printing parts of my life are piling up as I try to finish this print.  I surprise myself with my color selection.  Muted tones.  I am happy with the way they look.  I ended the year printing December 30th and 31st and have begun the new year also printing everyday:  Color 5 on New Year's Day, Color 6 on January 2nd and Colors 7 and 8 on January 3rd.  I have decided not to fix some of the mistakes I have made.  The color 2 cutting mistake, well, in the end it isn't so noticeable and might have been a blessing.  Happy accident.

So my New Year is off to a good start.  I hope the same for all of you.

Happy New Year

Back to work after returning from Christmas in Cincinnati, I printed the 3rd color on my 10 x 10 print.  I carved a small piece of gomuban with the shape I wrongly cut away and have reserved the ink I mixed of that color.  But after 5 colors now, I am waiting to see if I really need to use it.  Here is the 3rd color pass.  You will note that I am not printing the whole area of the print.  This is a change for me...I am trying to think more about putting the color where it is needed and not building up too many layers.  Too many make for shiny areas.

Color 4 is the first of three colors for the pool.  I forgot to add cobalt drier to the ink and hoped it would be dry enough to print today.  A color-a-day is the goal since I have returned.

I am printing on Rives BFK and a kozo paper.  The Rives version is turning out clearer, the ink spreads out smoothly.  With the kozo there is more of the underneath color showing through.  I haven't adjusted to the rougher surface but I kind of like the differences.

Color 5 covered up the brightness of Color 3 pretty well.  Certainly enough for what will come next.  I had another brain fart carving away this one and had to glue back a piece.  I will learn tomorrow whether that worked or not.  See if you can spot my error!  It will show (or not) after either Color 6 or 7.  When I look at the print at this stage, I am tempted to leave it this abstract.  But I can't do it.  There is something in me that can't wait to see what it will look like after the next color...and the next.  But this stage inspires me to think more abstractly and to really try to do fewer colors.

Ten By Ten

I have finally started a new reduction relief print. The new print will be 11 colors.  I tried to get it down to 10 but felt I needed that one more color. I am one of those printmakers who decide it all in advance and do all my color separations on paper before I begin cutting.  The project is to be a commemorative piece to honor the 10 year anniversary of the Arizona Print Group.  The print dimensions are to be 10 x 10 inches in an edition of 3.  Two will be assembled into books for showing potential galleries the type and quality of our work.  One will be used for exhibition purposes.  My plan is to make two small editions from the same plates, varying perhaps the color of the swimsuit...?  I am printing one set on kozo and one set on Rives BFK.  The image here on kozo will be a bleed print and not for the book.

The second color went down yesterday.  Here it is shown on Rives.  My lighting was terrible and my battery almost dead so the color isn't great on these.  The kozo is a bright white paper and the colors are actually brighter and different than the ones on the creamier Rives.  It looks the opposite in the photos but that's just my bad lighting.  

This project is due January 10th and I am going away for a week.  Then I will be having a very special house guest January 5th so I am running out of time...and in my hurry I cut away an essential part of the face.  I have to admit I have never made such a bad mistake.  I have a couple options in mind to salvage my print but in the meantime I have let it go for now.  Breathe deep and enjoy Christmas.  I am confidant I will save it in the end and I will share with you how it goes.

Thank you for following my blogposts and commenting as you have.  It is another layer of support and nurturing of artists to artists that is inspiring and fun and loving.  

Happy holidays to you and safe travels.

Last Night at Five15 Arts Gallery

The five new members of the Five15 Arts Gallery have a group show exhibiting this month.  We are Brendan Ore, Marc Marlowe, Marlys Kubicek, Sarah O'Donoghue and myself.  Last night was the Third Friday Reception and the turnout was great.  It is wonderful seeing our friends and collectors come by to see what's new and support our new venture in this cooperative gallery.  It was also fun meeting Sarah O'Donoghue who drove up from Tucson last night.  She's our newest member and will be showing her work exclusively in December.  It was also nice to hang with Brendan and get to know him a little better.  He drove in from Yuma for the evening. 

Mike O'Connor and Catherine Ruane

Marlys Kubicek, Doug Kirkman, Sarah Kriehn, Rosalie Kirkman

I will at the gallery from 1:00 to 5:00 today, if you want to stop by or hang out for awhile.  It's a beautiful day for art viewing!

Brendan Ore and parents

Sarah O'Donoghue and Matt