Wings!

We have a wing!

next to last block of the primaries, 10 x 18"

     A busy week in Artlandia!  Now that it's May, it feels like the upcoming solo show at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, June 24 - July 29 is just around the corner. On the one hand, I try to keep reminding myself that I already have a lot of work that is ready to go (there is no way that there won't be enough)...but... I always want to include the latest and greatest, and while that's not a bad thing, it's difficult to balance against all the logistical things that need attention during the lead up - photographing, listing, packing, transporting, figuring out the hanging, etc.                                                                                                     So, this week in an effort to reduce the number of irons in the fire - I decided to make a big push on the wings and try to finish the last two blocks, marble the paper, and print them (I didn't even proof them; they went straight onto marbled paper.)

Last Block!(!!) I saved the stripes for last :) 8 x 10"

This is the last of the primary feathers. I think it's pretty funny how I really started to feel like I was getting the hang of it...on the last one, Ha!

I also reprinted this block of the primary coverts, because I just wasn't sure about the color...

before - too gray

after - too pink? (...hmmmm, still thinking- maybe the third time's a charm?)

I also tried to move the life-scale figure toward completion - gluing and sewing the parts together.  

 

stitching from the back and front, gold thread with little knot between the stitches
I  didn't try to hide the stitches - instead, I tried to put them where they would be most useful structurally, but also add to the appearance.

I also sewed on this necklace made out of trim with plastic pearls and gem that I sewed on. I think this is funny because it's extra trim and cheap beads from the big box store, but I think it looks great. Like not hiding the stitches, I decided not to try to hide the seem at the neck, instead adding something shiny and sparkly nearby to distract from it.

and I think it sort of worked - at
viewing distance, the seam doesn't stand out as
much (and when it becomes visible,
 the cut along the neck makes
it even more reliquary-like ;) )

I loved seeing this on my last trip to New York during
my visit to the Cloisters - even though I was there to see the
 cards,  I couldn't help photographing this (and it's even
cooler in person,  because there are three of them close together.
I can never decide which is my favorite, but I particularly like
the necklace on this one -
A Reliquary Bust of St. Balbina, ca 1520-30,
Southern Netherlandish,
Metropolitan Museum New York, 67.155.23

In preparing to move onto the torso/arms section next week, I also realized that I never printed the hand on a press on toned paper (I hand printed a proof at VCCA).

In para-art news, I got to visit one of my happy places -  Samascott Nursery (so many flowers, and! they have delicious apples - the Ruby Frosts are particularly good this year.)

no color correction on this - it really looks like that (maybe that's what inspired the new pink in the feathers?)

 

I went because they carry a variety of black flowers (which I find fascinating), but while I was there, I couldn't resist the  safety orange and yellow stripes.

can't resist some well placed safety orange though

first black bloom of the season
(and I assembled the planter myself - thumbs up!)

In non-art news, little Honeybear is doing great - she's back to being her joyful and exuberant puppy self.

Honey loves to be held and snuggled - she
rests her chin on my shoulder and gives the  exhale/snort
that I've come to think of as her puppy-pur.
 On my Dad's (wise!) advice, I set up
the tripod and photographed, because pretty soon, it
will be hard to believe that she was ever this little.

next to her human (and her brush)

belly pets please!

Look at that face!

A little kitty-puppy story of how things are going on the "family unity" front...

My feline assistants continue to get plenty of love and attention. They've all gotten used to seeing each other, and I've been opening the baby gate into the kitchen in the evening while I do dishes and clean up the kitchen - Honey is usually sleepy after her walk and dinner, so she stays on her bed while Junior comes in and does a loop to check on things.  Honey was dozing when Junior came up and touched her nose to Honey's tail...then lept back when it started to wag - haha. She didn't run away, just looked at it in horror like it's Aliiiiive! And with that - we have first contact! :)

Creatures

A difficult few days in Artlandia - including the wee hours of this morning spent in the vet emergency room.

Not as focused on artwork right now, but some photos from earlier this week...

work continues on the 4 ft block

I inked it with transparent blue to highlight areas I missed

I printed small creature blocks 

and scanned them all

so I could try a new technique I learned - converting them into smart files with
layer masks and then inserting them into digital collages

work continues on the pen-ultimate wing block....

I put together some foam core cork boards so that I could tack up the works in progress

We now have all 4 legs!

almost there...

creatures - real and paper

The unicorn is starting to come together!

Junior continues to be an excellent helper - establishing scale 
and the gradient map (-evidence: it's not that my photos are 
dark, I really do always print on gray paper ;) ).

And, of course, we all
want to see how the
little Bear has grown this week :) !

Getting better at cutting and
registering the plates and hiding the seams! 

I drew into the neck and am starting to piece 

the parts together, and also printed the front legs:

I did a little tweaking to make them into

cloven hooves [thumbs up!]

And I printed the new feather block from last week

I also kept working on the 4 ft tree block...

Carving around the branches - oy.

I also added tracery into the upper corners
(as we can see, it took a few tries - as the 
saying goes - draw twice and carve once... ;) ).

But it wasn't all art-plants, I also made my annual visit to the
fancy nursery for black flowers and unusual/ pretty plants. [heart!]

Ok, and a few more pet pictures,
because I can't help myself ;)

Rocky, after a week - 
it's a hard life for a squeaky toy

Fortunately, my dear friend Tammy sent Honey a care
package that included a new also-favorite toy, so that her
human could sneak Rocky away and into the wash.

Honey knows who her human is and is doing well
 with the crate now (I put the cot away and
 put the crate in its place with same blankets).

One last pet picture, so that all 3 of my creatures
are included - it seems my elegant Princess
has forgiven me for bringing the little
Bear home, now that it has been
established that the new addition does not
encroach upon her customary sleeping spot
 (on her human's shoulder)
and that she continues to receive breakfast first
(ah, it's good to be queen :) ).

Honey!

I'm going to talk about art, I swear...but first :D...

My human-creature family has grown! (!!!!) ((!!!!!!))

This is Honey - her human thinks she's the smartest, most beautiful puppy in the world :D

She's a half lab/ half German shepherd, and came home at 8.5 weeks old.

She has expressive, dark brown eyes and soft, downy fur, and she likes being brushed.

post-playtime naps are wonderful things. 

She likes her bed, but prefers to "herd"
 her toys onto her human's pillow. (I set
up a cot near her bed, so she wouldn't be
lonely her first night. Since then,
 I rest with her until she falls asleep at night,
(just until she adjusts to her new home
 and trusts that I'm coming back.)

Ok, now art...[focus!] Right now Honey is staying in the kitchen and adjacent bathroom behind a baby gate. We're still working on "family unity" - she seems to accept the kitties, but they aren't so sure about her yet. In the meantime - I'm trying to bribe my way back into their feline good graces with lots of brushing and treats (it's sort of working - baby steps). So art! - I set up to carve my 4 ft block downstairs near the kitchen so Honey can see me while I'm working on the block or at the computer or on the press (and I can keep an ear on her even while I'm working).

Progress on the 2 x 4 foot block = that's a lot of shavings!

 I also finished this 10 x 18" wing block (lately, I feel like I'm always either starting or finishing a wing block ;)) - but this one really is the next to next to last one (*the pen-pen-ultimate?)

The wings are carved into clearcarve, a transparent rubber-like material, while the tree block is MDF. Going back and forth has really brought to mind the differences between the different types of block material.  Even though they're both relief blocks, every material has a style of carving it "likes."   

This is my first time working with MDF, but it seems to fit with some general observations - harder materials like straight cuts. The harder the block, the more it lends itself to straight lines because it takes all the energy to move the tool forward - turning the tool would take "extra" force, i.e. "forcing it" (for me, this is generally when bad things happens, so - Avoid!) Because it's a composite material, it doesn't have a grain direction like sawn wood, so the cuts can easily go in any direction. I'm going to need lots of curved cuts for the tree - I think I can either pre-cut the edges with a straight blade tool (like I did in the photo above), or use short (careful!) strokes. 

Hopefully, (fingers crossed!) the contrast between the straight cuts in the background and architecture, and the curved cuts of the tree and landscape will be striking. [hmmmm...]

Softer block materials accept longer, curved cuts more easily (thumbs up!)

And now, because I can't help myself - one more round of Honey photos :)

Muybridge-inspired puppy shots - Honey with Rocky, the squeaky raccoon.