Liquid Swirling Sun

Prrrrrrrrrr

Micro/Macro
2012
Acrylic Drypoint Intaglio

Intersections

psychic |ˈsīkik|

adjective

1. relating to or denoting faculties or phenomena that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws.

energy |ˈenərjē|

noun ( pl. -gies)

1 the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.

Do you ever pass through areas that give you a strange feeling?

You may see beauty and feel awed. You may be chilled by a breeze.

You may hear leaves rustling and smell sweet blooms.

But you can't shake the feeling something else is there.

Maybe it's a physical thing; maybe not.

Is it these questions that create the psychic energy of a place? Or is it something that's actually there?

How did that cave get there and how far does it go? 

What lives in it? Who brought the ivy that hides its mouth?

Burnside & Tichner

Monoprint, Linoleum cut, Acrylic Drypoint Intaglio

printed with Akua ink. 11” x 16” 2011

Monitor

What dances around your periphery?

What trips your feedback loop into shuddering, chugging starts?

What's hiding in front of our eyes?

What's making us itch at a subcutaneous level?

Is it worth all the worry?

Summer

Sometimes there are just beautiful things you want to share.

Dragonfly Wing
2012, copper plate photogravure

Jacob Peoples Hastings

 

 The facts as I know them: This is Jacob Peoples Hastings, Father of 8. Probably married to Martha Catherine Hastings Hudson.

 

Do you think he had favorites? Did he see their strengths and their weaknesses and love them for each?

And how many ways can one person be viewed? How many ways can one person be known? Each of them probably viewed him with slightly different hues and textures in their mind and heart.

Copper plate photogravure prints with chine-collé. 2012.

Questions

A restaurant fire. Happens all the time.

This one's no different.

Or is it?

Shadowy figures glide through their minds.

Is it possible they have guilty consciences?

Guilty Conscience, 2011
Linocut, Monoprint, Relief Polymer, Acrylic Drypoint Intaglio, with Akua ink

Procopia

This handmade book is an interpretation of a chapter from Italo Calvino's book Invisible Cities.  Procopia is not only one of the most surreal chapters of the book, it is one of my favorite. It's nice that this project ended up turning out as one of my favorites to date, as well. Textured paper, blackberry illustrations, layered up cutouts; what's not to love?

If I could do it again, I'd probably change the cover (blocky, bleh), but really, absolutely nothing else.

Lithography

While old-school lithography was done by drawing or writing on stone and newer technologies have allowed for photo sensitive aluminum litho plates to work, all manners rely on the same principle: oil and water don't mix.

Wherever greasy crayon or photo-emulsion lie on the plate, water won't be -- it will be in the negative areas. Ink rolled over all of this will stick on the greasy spots and be repelled from the water areas -- allowing, as you've guessed, an image and negative space to exist. (If you'd like to see the process in action, there are plenty of videos on YouTube showing it, such as this stone demonstration.)

Modern technology is a neat thing, and there are even polyester (or "pronto") plates now, that can take a Sharpie and work! (I do not understand how that works, honestly, but it sure is cool.)

The details of lithography are quite fidgety, and of all the printmaking processes I have learned so far, it is one of the slowest in terms of producing multiples.

However, it is a good option if you are a fan of drawing! This lithograph was made on an aluminum plate with an oily crayon of some kind (sorry I didn't keep track). I do really like this finished product.


Things We Did On Grass, 2012

Gravity Isn't Real

Will I fly again this year?

Holding It Together

2011, Stratograph

The Miasma Theory

Back when Cholera was a huge problem, a very popular theory as to how it spread was called The Miasma Theory. Basically, everyone thought bad air full of Cholera was hanging over the towns - so why spend all that money to build sewers!

Anyway, this piece came out of  a mish-mash of things: a desire to use and combine wonderful old photos, thoughts about manipulating images so they imply some kind of narrative (however murky or confusing), and the need for neon pink to make an appearance.

What's the story? Was it an inside job?

Too bad computer screens are small. This print is much larger in person, and the details are delicious.

The book in which I learned about miasma and the building of the London sewer system is a really great read, and one I want to recommend. It's Dreams of Iron and Steel by Deborah Cadbury. The story about the Brooklyn Bridge and the bends is a fascinating one too!


Miasma Theory
2012, 2-color lithograph

We All Have Them

Eggshell Fragile Human Hearts
2010, Dyed Eggshell Mosaic

An Old Russian Saying

A friend and fellow printmaker told me a great saying that goes,
"Every joke is at least part joke."

That is the title of this print, but I think it is more fun to let you dream up all the possible links between the words and the imagery than for me to tell you what I was thinking when I created this mythical man.

I hope your thoughts snake out of your head like the myth-man's tuberous, gelatinous protuberances.

An experiment with mixing methods, the fellow was originally an etching who I scanned and added photoshopped "thoughts" to, then made into a photo litho plate (which then obviously ends up a lithography print).


Every Joke Is At Least Part Joke
2012, Lithography

Hootenanny

Hootenanny! Hootenanny!
Spread the word along now --

fetch yer ma 'n pa and get your Uncle John
don't forget to fetch your brother Larry
tell Aunt Madge -- she'll tell the rest of town!

Mother's ruin, tub juice, white mule, red eye
pour that sloe gin, thick and sweet.
Don't get sicker, flow that liquor,
lose your problems, prop yer feet!

Come on now Sissy, don't get washy-wishy!
Pop the cork and you'll see
that your tipple makes a fiiine ripple.

Moonshine, corn-squeezin's,
pass that bottle of rum;
canned heat -- can't be beat!
We're on our way to fun!


Hootenanny
2011, letterpress, collograph, hand binding

Printing Circa '09 & '10

Sometimes you squiggle

linoleum cut

sometimes you concentrate

letterpress with lead type

sometimes you doodle

linoleum cut

sometimes you meditate

monotype

sometimes it works.

Just one of many odes to printmaking I intend to write.

Mixed Media

full bed quilt

metal wallpiece (etched, cut and soldered copper, nickel and silver. also marbles.)

birthday card

In the Beginning...

there were little things;

humble joys;

small efforts, simple ideas;

 ok, maybe not always.

But they still hoped it would eventually add up to something.