I had planned to make this a three color moku hanga print, but I didn’t like the way it was coming out. So for this print I decided just to print the black and loosely watercolor the rest by hand. Each print will be variations on a theme.

size: 3.5 x 2.5 inches

ink: Akua lamp black printed moku hanga style with steel ball baring baren. Handpainted watercolor.

paper: hot pressed 150 lib. watercolor paper

Since I had so much fun doing the last tiny print, I decided to try another one. This one is a three-color print. Although this is much more challenging than the previous one-color print, the way it is designed will not require much registration precision (at least that’s the hope). I’m not sure about color schemes yet. This is just a Photoshop idea. I am still working on some color tests with real pigments.

As I have begun carving this, I am starting to think that it may be better suited to a larger size print. I recently read a recommendation that when scaling up a work one should adhere to the simplicity of the smaller work, so if I do make it bigger I will try to follow this advice.

Sketching out ideas for my next print. I liked working in the tiny 2.5 x 3.5 inch format so much that I decided to do another print this size – this time with color. I’ll be coloring outside of the lines, so to speak with this print and not fussing about registration. The lower left sketch is the one I am developing now.

Untitled, but yep, it’s my poodle boy. This print is based on a very quick sketch I did from life. I was striving to keep it simple for this print since I had to make so many and to hopefully keep the loose feeling of a sketch.

Open edition.
One block with hand painted detail.
size 3.5 x 2.5 inches.
On Nishinouchi paper.
Akua inks.

Hand painting 101 little tongues for the Baren Tiny Print exchange. Hopefully I will be wrapping things up and shipping them out this weekend.

It’s a mini print exchange to celebrate Baren’s 50th print exchange – 101 prints, each 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. I’m making this easy on myself by doing a one color print. I will be spreading the color (Akua) with a roller and printing on dry Nishinouchi paper. You can see a hint of the block in the background here. More to come later . . .

I have recently started a sketchbook to help me play with some imagery using collage and watercolor. Keeping a sketchbook gives me the freedom to explore simple ideas without having to worry about creating a finished work of art. I am hoping to also incorporate some printing into these sketches.

People are always talking about the importance of gratitude. How you should count your blessings. This approach never worked for me. I appreciate the blessings in my life, but my frustrations would still take hold. This weekend I tried something different that seems to work for me. It isn’t a new idea even to me, but I seemed to be able to get it this time around.

I was folding laundry and thinking about how I never have time to work on my art and even when I make time to do art, I am frustrated because I can’t get into a rhythm. At one point my poor unsuspecting husband wandered by and asked how I was doing and I snapped, “I feel like housework and chores are sucking the life out of me.” As my words slapped him in the face I suddenly realized that folding laundry wasn’t so awful. In fact I had failed to notice that it felt kind of good getting things in order for the start of the school year. I apologized to my husband. Then I spent the rest of the day playing a kind of game with myself – seeing if I could notice something positive in any frustrating situation. Like when I discovered mosquito larvae in the fountain, instead of focusing on how annoyed I felt about draining and cleaning it, I took the opportunity to look at each of the pretty stones as I cleaned them off and put them back in the water.

I know this won’t work for every tough situation I encounter, but I’m looking forward to the challenge – especially in the studio.

One of challenges of being a field librarian at the School of Art & Design is getting to know everyone in this constantly changing sea of creativity. Librarians, like most business people, typically hand out business cards as a way to leave their mark, but in a school where the students, faculty and staff do the mark-making, this just didn’t seem like quite the right approach. I started handing out my business cards and asking people to use the card to create a drawing or some type of artwork that I could include in an artist book. This usually led to a longer conversation and later, when the card was returned, I felt like we had started to know one another. I handed out many more cards than I got back, but the ones that did come back were fabulous expressions that wove their way nicely into this book. I am a librarian, so what better way to document this interaction?

This book is currently being exhibited at the Work Gallery in Ann Arbor. The Exhibition runs from August 12 through September 2, 2011.
Closing Reception: Friday, September 2 from 6 – 9 pm.

A walk with Henry

Originally uploaded by Serendipity Artist

When I started this print in the summer, I wasn’t really ready for fall. Now that it’s done we are at peak fall season here in Michigan!

A special shout out to David Bull and his amazing “My First Print” video. He turned my total frustration with this project into sheer excitement. Thank you David for going to Japan, soaking up this craft and translating it into clear and joyful multimedia!