fish

This poor neglected blog. I have been doing some art and crafts in the last few weeks. Not quite sure why I haven't blogged about it. Well, actually, I am. I just had a ton of obligations in the last few weeks, and writing assignments and got tangled up in blue.

SO, I just finished my second blockprint of the elements. First element was air, represented by a gold feather, though I did some other prints of red on sheet music and stuff like that. But my idea is to do a series of the elements to be framed as a four panel piece. This is the element water.

I also printed on a blue sheet, which turned out really cool. Much cooler in person.

And the two together on block printing paper.

I printed most of these as cards, because I love using block prints for cards. I think for fire, I will do a cool lino cut of the sun. And the earth element is the hardest. Perhaps a tree? Any ideas? I also think the sun and the earth are going to be squares, rather than rectangle, so they are balanced when they are all together.


I saw one of those sign/saying things today on Facebook that said the Earth without Art is just Eh, which made me happy. So, Happy Arting!

feather

I've been rediscovering my love of linoleum block printing. I've been fascinated with feathers as well. And so I thought I might do a feather carving. 

I drew a very basic feather, anPd then texturized it while carving the block.

My initial idea was to use the feather for a tea towel. I printed it and it looked like poo. Here I'll show you. It literally looked like poo. Smeared poo.

For that project, I grabbed a piece of fabric, and covered the now set block print. I liked the way it turned out.

For the feather print, I printed off some on watercolor card stock in gold for sending to friends.

I really dug this triple print I did. Experimenting with the printing aspect of it.

Today, I dug out a total score from the ReStore, which is sheet music. (Pun intended.) 10 cents a booklet. It felt kind of sacrilegious to make art our of sheet music, but then I thought it was ten cent paper, and it is art. Make it better. 

Not sure I succeeded in the better part, but I did do some enso meditation paintings.

After meditating and painting, I thought I might print some more pieces. I did some red feather prints.

I might give that to my cousin, who I call Primo. Rather, I call him Mopri (primo flipped.)

I love the feather print, and my sister gave me the idea to do a series of four, each one a symbol of an element. I have sketched out a fish for water. A tree for earth. I am still worried about the fire, but we will see.

heart labyrinth

Since I started this blog, I think I have only ever really done one linoleum block print for a Day of the Dead swap. I just paint more and do other crafting. But block printing, like stamp cutting, is something that is easy, versatile and fun. So, I thought I would show you the process with this project I did today.

For some background on this project, I was invited to a baby shower/blessingway for a friend of mine and received this in the mail.

The instructions were that each person coming to the baby shower would create a prayer flag, which would be strung together to help my friend during labor and birthing. Traditionally, Tibetan prayer flags are hung outside with prayers that are carried on the wind to God, or the gods, or the universe. Prayers for peace and the end of suffering. The flag is supposed to wear away, remain open to the elements, meaning your prayer would be answered when the flag is gone. For this blessingway, the idea is to write a prayer, positive message, and/or a loving powerful image for the pregnant woman to use as strength and love for birth. Each person does one to surround her with love and positive images. I loved the idea and immediately began thinking about what to do for her.

I've been thinking about labyrinths a great deal lately. I wrote about it on my other blog recently. In a birthing class I took while pregnant with Beezus, we drew labyrinths as a kind of power image to use during birth. Labor is like a labyrinth, we were told. You go in and though it is a long, winding, seemingly arduous path, you always find a way to the center and back out again. Though it seems to be a maze, you aren't tricked, there is no cleverness, you will get to the end.

I decided to do a labyrinth for my prayer flag. I am really drawn to the Native American labyrinth pattern, which has a more organic and less geometric look to it. Labyrinths are in cultures all over the world, so there are many different designs.

I drew this. Then I decided, as I was turning it around and around that it might look cool as a block print. And then as I was staring at it and thinking it looked like a brain, I thought I might transform it into a heart-shaped labyrinth, since labor is an arduous journey of love.

Creating a linoleum block print is really easy, but does require some equipment. All very reasonably priced and long lasting, so a little investment for a long pay-off. If you are so inclined. Linoleum block printing is one way to make a print. I did watch a Martha Stewart one morning where she did a print on a potato, then stamped it in fabric paint and made cool onesies. So, once you buy the stamp/block cutting tools, you can basically carve anything. I choose linoleum because it lasts a hell of a lot longer than a potato and I can make multiple prints, wash the linoleum in water, and use another color.

First thing to know is that printing is a reverse process, so if you are doing letters, mirror flip them. I drew my design right on my block. First in watercolor pencil, so I could erase with water, then I went over it in sharpie.

The drawing is the guideline. I am going to take the linoleum off the entire block EXCEPT my design. I am making a stamp, basically. This one is 8.5" x 5". My husband used a table saw to trim my block (later in the process). You can buy the tools to remove the linoleum at Michael's or AC Moore, both of which have printing materials, including blocks and ink and all the equipment. Speedball makes a cheap, totally fine, lino block tool set for ten bucks. Blocks vary in price, but are about five to ten bucks a piece. Again, you can cut them to suit your needs.

The block cutting tools I use are made my Speedball. And have different sizes of blade, which are stored in the handle. They are hella sharp, and I have cut myself a number of times. Practice before doing an intricate design. It isn't terribly difficult, but it does take a certain understanding of how much pressure and counter pressure to use and where to put your other hand. I have slipped, especially early on and skidded across my block and into my hand. It wasn't pleasant. Some people use a vice, but I like to move my block around.

I always start by creating the edge of my print first. Then the long, large areas.I do that for a number of reasons. One is that if I do slip and skid across my project, you usually stop at a gutter. Usually. Not always, but usually. I generally leave a huge field to cut around my project only so I can reorient myself to cutting the linoleum before I get into my design. Many people trim all block but the design. That is a good way to do it.

This is a very meditative process. Cutting and drinking coffee/tea. Cutting and drinking coffee. I also listen to music I can sing to.

 After finishing the entire surrounding area, I hunker down for the intricate design of the inside heart. I am cutting out everything but the black marker.

 This part is the difficult part. It takes patience, rather. It isn't difficult, but it is easy to slip and cut straight through the rest of your design, which would be bad. No repairing the gone linoleum. Here is my design, you can see the linoleum bits in a pile behind the block. As you can see, by this cross section above, linoleum block is a wood block with a relatively thin piece of linoleum on top. You can buy just the linoleum. And if you are so inclined, you can do this same exact thing on wood. Wood does come off differently because of grain and nooks and crannies, so it takes a lot more skill than I possess. Linoleum doesn't seem thin when you are carving, but then you hit wood here and there, and it feels thin. Pressure is important. Deep cuts will absorb less ink. Shallow cuts will pool your ink and make your print look muddy. But it is a way to create shadowing and detail by playing with cutting depth. This project was very straightforward for what was cut and what wasn't.

 Next step is to ink the bad boy. I use block printing ink for block printing. It seems like a no-brainer, but I have tried paint. It doesn't work. This is water soluble, and comes off easily. That is why I choose it. I think a brayer is an essential piece of equipment in an artist studio. It is so immensely useful for creating texture, background, printmaking, and all kinds of stuff. I use mine often. Very often. I used this little sushi dish to spread ink today, but usually I use a butcher pan I inherited from my step father. After spreading the ink evenly over your brayer, you then ink your block print. Try to roll evenly and do a number of rolls to cover all the parts of your design. This is why cutting depth is so important. As you can see in my picture, all the parts that are red are ink, so in the field, there is some reds. That is the high points of my cuts. I like that look. It gives a cool design element. Block prints want some of that, but too much and it looks sloppy.

The difference in stamp making and print making is that you move the stamp and with block printing, you move the paper. There are machine to help you print, but I use me. I am La Machina. But it takes a steady, delicate, yet strong touch. After inking, you place the paper on top. It is important to make sure you know where you want the image on your paper first, line it up, and lay it evenly. You cannot drag your paper into place after you lay it on top of the block, obviously, or paint will drag across your paper. Also resist the urge to jiggle it into place. Just place it and step away. Now grab your barren.

That is the barren, the thing on top of the white paper. It helps give you a nice even pressure on your design. When you use your fingers, you can easily press your paper into the crannies of your design, giving it ink where ink ain't supposed to be. Each print will be different. There is no helping it. Now, when you lift your paper, lift is straight up. Don't drag. Don't touch. Don't pull it. I actually pull at opposite corners in.

 Practicing with the print, I made these cards. While I like the design, the red ink makes it look a little placental, which is just not my style. So I tried mixing blue, green, yellow, and silver inks to create a cool new color of teal-ish sparkly goodness.

 This is how it turned out on the prayer flag.

 And this is the shitload of prints I did tonight on different papers, like origami paper, cardstock, watercolor paper, marker paper and just plain old colored stock.

 Hope you liked this tutorial, and if you think the design is too weird, tell me. I have a few weeks before the shower!

10.11.10

I love block printing, and I used to block print often after Beezus was born and before Lucy was conceived. That was the only art, really, that I was doing in the first few years of her life, before Lucy died. I was asked to be in a Day of the Dead ATC swap, and was psyched to do it. I feel Day of the Dead deep within me, and not only that, but it also marks one year of connecting with other artists via Mother Henna's swaps. I took two of her courses in the spring, and loved them and her, and was still finding my artistic footing, or lack of artistic footing that became my footing. (Does that make sense?)

Anyway, I had been wanting to try a block print for this swap, and then I saw Ines doing one, and Kara herself used an amazing stamp. I know nothing about stamping, but her work is amazing. My first instinct is to say, "Well, they are doing printing, so I won't copy." Or whatever you say as an adult that boils down to that sentiment. But having had a busy busy weekend, and not got to paint, I thought that I would just love to pursue this. My first idea. I'm going for it. So, I sketched out a 2.5"x3" skull with minimal design, some, but minimal. I wanted to give my calavera a tear and a heart, for obvious reasons. (Well, obvious to me, at least.)

I had my camera near since I was taking pictures earlier, and I was also spread out on my kitchen table for some reason that annoyed my husband. So, I took some during picture. Burnishing, then printing on card stock, then I lined them all up like a Warhol except the one messed up one I turned to the side. Then I used some cool markers and decorated them like sugar skulls. Though the orange were difficult to use markers on, so I left them just printed. Then the lining up of the ATCs made me think of doing a full sheet of skulls for my sister to frame. She collects Day of the Dead stuff for her house, and has my art in almost every room, from practice still life watercolors, or illustrations of her children, to block prints I did years ago. She is my biggest fan, so I am hoping she isn't peeking over here to see her surprise.