Good Boy

For the past five months we have had a loaner dog at the studio.  His human mother arrived on a friend's doorstep after being homeless and living in her car with Hoover for several weeks.  Our friend found a shelter for the woman but they wouldn't take the dog.  So we did.  He's a 14 year old boxer mix and while the weather was good, he lived in our backyard and laundry room.  He was always happy to see us and everyone who printed at Bilancia, would go out for a visit with Hoover.  When it got cold, we let him into the studio where our bonding further gelled.  We got him a big bed so he could lay at our feet between us in the classroom.  He has been a happy, appreciative resident. 
Hoover's Mom has worked hard and found a new place to stay and we just learned he can stay there with her.  She took him home today.  Our hearts are broken a little.  We will miss him terribly. 

HOOVER, Good Boy

Christmas Eve Art Tradition

Cameo feature on pedestrian entrance to a parking garage.

I love our new holiday tradition was going to an art gallery/art museum on Christmas Eve.  This year we took in the exhibitions at the Weston Art Gallery at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.  We were captivated by Elissa Morley's installation "Vision: Things That Fly."  And I was intrigued by the paintings of Todd Reynolds in his exhibition "Utopia."  We then popped in to the Contemporary Art Center to do a little last minute shopping.  Loved the Shepard Fairey pieces in the lobby!

Merry Christmas

These two little dogs are among the blessings I am counting this holiday season.  They continue to make my heart light go on.  Maddie is so loving and Bear, who is getting older and a little slower, also snores so sweetly. 

I am also blessed with a wonderful family who has learned to laugh together and love each other in good times and bad.  And friends who have come to define unconditional love.

I am grateful for my students, who have listened and questioned and tried and appreciated learning.  I have learned so much from them and feel lucky to have shared such excellent time in the studio.  

I also want to acknowledge my new friends who I have yet to meet.  Most are artists whose work I found on the internet, who I have reached out to and who have welcomed me into their worlds with open arms.  Printmakers are the best!

So Merry Christmas to all. 

CATCHING UP

Jo Andersen, Marika Szabo and Marlys

Joe Marshall touching up his relief plate

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY?
It has been too long since I have posted!
MK and I have been spending lots of time on the Southern Graphics Council conference project we are curating for the Arizona Print Group.  Dan Welden donated solarplates to our 26 members last year to do a group project.  We envisioned all now 30 members' prints collaged together in one long print joined by a common theme and a horizontal line running through each print (at varying orientations).  The theme we chose was Reality/Distortion to fit in with the conference theme of Equilibrium.  We submitted the proposal to SGC and were accepted as one of 11 exchanges which will be on view during the conference March 16-19 2011 in St Louis.  Since many of the print group members had little to no experience with solarplates we have been having some really fun studio sessions helping them achieve their visions.  We had two sessions in Tucson hosted by the generous and talented Jo Andersen and have had several sessions at our studio, Bilancia.  It has cemented the vision Marlys and I have of a working print studio with collaborations and teaching...sigh.  Happy sigh!

THANKSGIVING IN BISBEE

Copper Queen Hotel

Heather Green

We also got out of town for a quickie trip to Tucson and Bisbee for Thanksgiving, staying at La Paloma and the Copper Queen.  We had the wonderful CQ Thanksgiving dinner - what a treat!  Delicious and so reasonably priced.  The day after Thanksgiving, we stopped in on Heather Green in her new studio/gallery and hit many of the great little shops on Main Street.  I learned a lot about turquoise from the jewelers there and regret there isn't any being mined any longer.  I had never been to Bisbee before but hope to return for what might be a new Tradition every November. 

MESA CONTEMPORARY ARTS NEW 2011 CALENDAR AND CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Two new exhibitions opened Friday night, coinciding with the unveiling of the new fundraising calendar.  Each calendar has 12 original prints and sells for $200.  29 artists participated, including me (see earlier post here.)  It's really easy way to start art collecting.  And the work is quite good. 

"Grand Tour" by Corinne Geertsen

MK and I really loved the new exhibitions - "Nice Words", with Utah artist Brian Kershisnik - great paintings that were easy to look at but then you discover little surprises and bits of humor...and an exhibition of digitally manipulated photos by Arizona artist, Corinne Geertsen.  Some of her photographs made me laugh out loud; some were just beautiful.  Great transfixing of old family photos in wondrous new settings. 

Your Days Are Numbered Print Exchange

I finished my print today, for the Your Days Are Numbered print exchange.  Todd Christensen of New Mexico Highlands University is the organizer.  I met Todd at the Southern Graphics Council conference in Chicago two Marches ago.  I had been in another print exchange with him organized by Melanie Yazzie, so I recognized his name when I saw him there.  I am curious to see who else is in this exchange but look forward to seeing the work by the other artists whoever they are.  The size is 10" x 22" and this print is titled "Heart Broken."

I printed a few extra from the first color pull in a greener version, to play around with later.  I wanted to experiment with different color variations to see how to get the figure to pop out.  But I am happy with this two color version.  It took me awhile to carve the (golden cut) linoleum after having used Gomuban for my last 4 reduction prints.  But the Gomuban didn't come in a size large enough to accommodate the 22" image requirement.  Gomuban is the name of the product at McClain's.  The same product is available at Graphic Chemical but they call it Blue Vinyl.   I asked Dean Clark if he could get it in a larger size and he said he would check on his next trip to Japan (where this product originates).

My next two projects are exchanges due in January.  Both will utiltize solarplates.  So I will be switching hats, after a few days of play with the remaining relief prints.

Expressions of the Soul - First Friday Report

Many people turned out for the First Friday reception at the Cathedral for the Arts Olney Gallery show "Expressions of the Soul - 5 Artists."  Annie Lopez, Joan Yen, Michelle Peacock, Mitral Kamali and myself came together at the invitation of Joan who put forth our proposal to this fine exhibition gallery.  The work is as varied and diverse as the artists.  We enjoyed seeing and meeting the art appreciators who stopped by, including Congressman and Mrs Ed Pastor.
We also met Pat Powers of Powerzmedia who recorded short audio statements from the artists which will go with the slide show to be made from photos of the evening taken by her husband.  This video will be made available to us artists and I will share it with you as soon as it comes out - (within the next month.) 

One of the unusual and very cool things going on for the opening at the Cathedral Center for the Arts was a slide show of our artwork on the side of the Church facing Central Avenue, put together and run by Roberta Hancock's son.  Roberta is the art director/curator for the Cathedral for the Arts and she treated us all like rock stars. 

So if you are feeling like you missed something special, you have another opportunity to see the slide show, meet the artists, see some great art and listen to some music too!  Third Friday, November 19th we will do it all again.  6-10 PM Olney Gallery at Trinity Cathedral, 100 W. Roosevelt, Phoenix.

Expressions of the Soul Opening Reception

I am one of five women showing at the Cathedral Center for the Arts at Central and Roosevelt starting this (First) Friday.  We are pleased to have two receptions - one for First Friday and another for Third Friday.  Stop by to meet the artists and see some wonderful art by a very diverse group of women:  Annie Lopez, Joan Jue Yen, Mitra Kamali, Michelle Peacock et moi!

Cathedral Center for the Arts
Olney Gallery at Trinity Cathedral
100 West Roosevelt Street, Phoenix
www.trinitycca.org
First Friday nov 5 6-10pm
artist reception
Third Friday nov 19 6-10pm
collector’s evening
(public welcome)
Olney Gallery is open during regular business hours: M-F, 9a-4p