Monosilkscreen Process

I enjoyed another monosilkscreen workshop at the Mesa Arts Center, the past 2 Saturdays. The workshop is offered every quarter and since there is so much time between classes, I feel pressure to be ready and take advantage of the time available.  So for the week or more before each session, I plan what I want to print and cut stencils and pull color chips for each concept.

So with the stencil on the right I printed 3 backgrounds of a solid yellow/green. When that dried I mixed up a darker green and put the stencil down arcing from bottom left to to top right.  For fun I pulled a 4th print of the stencil and the yellow/green over a plain white paper.

 When those dried I reversed the stencil putting it on the right side and tried to mix a transparent blue/green.  But my first two efforts were not transparent enough and covered the first stencil more than I wanted. So I kept adding more transparent base until I got to this point on the last two:

Not satisfied but that's what I had to work with.  After the first Saturday class, I decided to print with a stencil I had used for diffused relief on these two prints.

I mixed up a very transparent (finally) blue and printed them both today.  I was very happy with the result.  I am not sure these are the final versions of these prints but so far so good.

As always I want to thank Nieves Manje and Jeremy Yocum for all their help and expertise.  The size of these images are 25" x 17.5".

Stars are in Alignment

I am having a bit of a lucky streak.  You can see why I might feel that way: 

My print, Native Son, was included in the Family Matters exhibition at the ASU Art Museum this summer. Rossi Todorova organized the print exchange SB 1070 which was donated to ASU's art museum.  From that donation, they pulled my print and used it in the exhibition which ended July 31st.  Someone saw my work and told me about it.  What a thrill, to have my work in an Art Museum exhibition!  

I was contacted, as per my last post, by someone wanting to feature my work in a blogpost about Family Art Collecting.  It appeared in Phoenix Magazine.  

Then Kim Larkin contacted me about participating in a show at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort for the National Swimming Pool Federation conference.  I was one of 7 artists and all four of my prints sold from that 3 day show! 

I finished my print for the Mesa Arts Center calendar at Santo Press last week.  Here is the final version.

And then today I got a routine email from the NAU Art Museum announcing a new show - NAU Art Museum:  Collecting in the Twenty-First Century.  I clicked on the link to see if I could see whose work was in the show and lo and behold, there I am again!!!  The museum is using many prints from the Passport Required print exchange I helped organize for the Arizona Print Group.

I mentioned how lucky I felt to another artist and she pointed out to me that luck didn't have anything to do with it.  She said that I have produced a consistent body of work and that I work hard at getting my work out there.  It is so difficult for an unrepresented artist to get their work seen and this is something I have worked diligently at over the years.  And I keep producing new work.  But it is hard not to feel lucky and much gratitude that my work is noticed and appreciated.  I want to thank all the good people who have included my prints in their shows or writings.  And for featuring printmaking!

 I can't wait to see what happens next!

  

Artwork in Progress/Phoenix Magazine Blogpost

SANTO PRESS - COLOR 1

                            

It is such a luxury to have your reduction relief printed for you. Brent Bond at Santo Press is a joy to work with. I love the Mesa Arts Center - it's where I learned I was a printmaker! - and I'm grateful for their facilities and galleries. So supporting their annual fundraising effort is important to me. Each year artists donate prints to be included in the MAC calendar. A buyer can get 12 original fine art prints for $200. Such a deal! But carving out the time (a little printmaker pun) to print 50 2 color reductions, just isn't available to me right now. So with much gratitude, Brent printed the first color of my print yesterday.  This photo is a test proof, not the final color but close.

PHOENIX MAGAZINE BLOGPOST

Deborah Lewis freelanced a blogpost for Phoenix Magazine about family art collecting.  It is a wonderful idea and I encourage one and all to start with their kids today.  Most artists welcome inquiries about their art, process and prices from those who are sincere in their interest.  Artists I know like to give small prints as baby presents so the baby owns original art from the get go.  Birthdays are perfect opportunity to grow a collection.  Let me know if you have any questions about my work.  My email is listed on my Facebook badge on the right column of this blog.  Or make a comment with your contact info and I will reach out to you. Here is a link to the Phoenix Magazine post.