Recent(ish) projects

02/20/2012

I believe in my last entry I mentioned that I got first place in the Washington Printmaker's Gallery Excellence in Printmaking juried show! Here is a link to their blog about the awards:  http://dcimprint.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/excellence-in-printmaking-awards/

At the moment, I'm still unemployed, but I'm waiting to get my wisdom teeth out so that I won't have to get a job and then say "whoops, I need to leave for a week or two". I'm keeping busy with two commissions and practicing my viola for the upcoming MSO concert on March 3. I've also been going through all the papers in my room and organzing them. Having lived at the same house and having the same room since I was 3 years old, I keep finding all sorts of things I can't believe I've saved all these years! It's definitely been a trip down memory lane, what I can remember, at least!

Here are pics of recent projects:

I made my boyfriend a valentines card again this year!
I got some new stamps recently and crafting cardstock that was on sale!

At least this year I remembered to write something in it and sign it!
And I purposely hand-wrote a lot of it and made it look imperfect because last year I had to convince my bf I didn't buy the card and hand it to him.
Also, Its a pop-up! Book arts class taught me something! Ha
P.S. I love bone folders. They make creases so much more crisp and fun!

I forget if I showed this on here recently or not but I started a painting on one of those warm days.
I'm not sure I like it enough to want to continue working on it,  but I don't want to leave it in this state! Because I started off with a lemon yellow gesture drawing, everything looks kind of acidic or citrus-y, especially that sky with yellow still in it... anyway, I'll get back to it... eventually.

So my boyfriend took me on the perfect date to a BYOB 3 hour painting class in Old Town Alexandria he got a good deal on Group-On!  I didn't bring a picture to work from.... so of course I painted him painting! It was fun, but I definitely reached a point where I had too much "inspiration" and felt unmotivated, that was until I heard there was only so much time left.
I need to go back and round out the head and clarify a few areas,  but for looking like a blobby mess at first and the three hour time-frame, it turned out suprisingly well, as others in the class just had to tell me because they had doubts on whether it would work out at all!  Don't get me wrong, it looks pretty messy, sloppy even, but it was also BASIC acrylics, so it had a lot less body and was drippier than I had gotten used to with oil paints.

The other week I was like "OMG, I've been depressed and haven't made anything good lately"
Which, I know, it's false, but I haven't made enough of anything to be happy with myself and my lack of production.  So, naturally, I set up a mirror and hung up a patterned skirt behind me (the swirls), and made a self portrait woodcut!
It came out suprisingly dreamy and contemplative, kind of the state I've been in as of late.
I had some errors I attempted to correct with putty (trying not to be afraid of using it!). I even built up the putty at the bottom which gave a nifty grain for the table!  Maybe it's about time I attempt some collographs!

So I took the woodcut to GMU print shop the following day and attempted to hand print the blocks. This is one on this shuji gami paper I had. I also printed some on tan BFK Rives.  It came out much cleaner-looking and crisper if I over-inked the block and soaked the paper for a little bit. I also mixed a brown-black ink so it's not just straight-out-of-the-can black.