This was a small example of many of the litho experiments we made last night. Using Litho Coal Powder (toner powder), stipple brush and two stencils cut from card stock, I pushed powder onto a polyester plate, placed it on the back side of a cookie sheet. Preheated the oven to 250 degrees. Placed the plate in the oven for 9 minutes. The Litho Coal fused to the plate and I was able to print multiples with tint based litho ink. Rolled up after 1 proof. Think this opens up some new ideas for future prints.

Visiting Artists

Two visiting artists from New Mexico, Chris Dacre(printmaking/painting) and Tomiko Jones (installation art/photography) worked at L VIS Press this weekend. Great experimentation and collaborations working with new techniques in lithography. Inspiring.

Oversized sketchbook using charcoal over pochoir. Looser than my usual work but fun to do.

Used my photo litho plate today. Our new hydraulic lift makes it sooo easy for me to move the slate slab on and off the press by myself. Great for large stones, too!

Long day printing from 11:30 am until 7 pm. Printing went well. I think printing goes much better in the winter months here.

Stripped my prints to speed up the drying process. They sit in the drying rack until tomorrow when I'll print the third color, a salmon pink.

Need to get a piece framed for an exhibit Friday. Also need to finalized my image for the next portfolio.

Hope everyone had a good day making art. Going to sketch for a minute to wind down. Goodnight. Syd, my pup is calling it a night, too.

Mixing My Ink

I mix a pretty stiff ink. 3 parts tint base Handschy #1075 to 1 part pigment Handschy Leaf Brown. Today I'm printing on photo litho plates. I made film positives for the pale yellow plate and the pale pink plate and exposed them on to the plates. I made a "draw down" pulling my ink tipped putty knife tightly across a sample of my arches paper strip. When I get the color I like I add magnesium carbonate and a sliver of setswell. I like this combination of color to create sallow skin tones. I'll be using the 18" composition roller.

Old sketch, a reminder of my business suit days and hangin' with the "good ole'boy-chest-beaters- club". Glad I don't do that anymore. Toast and jam with my coffee this morning. Gearing up to print this afternoon.

Sketchbook drawing of "Ella" feeling frumpy with her imposed wardrobe.

Small lithograph, printed on the back of an edition for "Ganjifa" portfolio. My card was the "King of Clubs".

Nice treat! Mr. A is cooking chili tonight. It's been so cold today.

I use watercolor on a proof to test my color palette before printing. Think I will be printing two more colors.

Helped out a little on a small project at the UofA. Some people working in the undergrad print studio, but no one in the grad studio this weekend.

Cold here. Wandered out with a friend to the end of the road. Took Syd my trickster pup. Was met by two men who quickly stated that dogs were not allowed on this trailhead. Kept my cool but remembered someone telling me that indigenous people don't believe that anyone can "own" land. Came home and printed 48 prints. I feel better.

Goodnight fellow artists. Today I practiced tolerance for "pesky sticklers". Argh!!!!

Sketchbook drawing...need to tear my paper for my edition today. Thinking to do 44, 11" X 15".

Just a small sampling of my little non-indigenous women. Aren't they awesome? Have had them for a long time.

Today was not too bad.

Worked on my new print. Content. Content. Need to consider better content when creating imagery. Find myself wandering into the past to gather reasons...reasons for why...reasons, nothing too serious. I enjoy the process of gathering. Gathering research. Have you ever spent an entire month to locate a semblance of a childhood cookie jar? I find myself searching for insignifigant objects from my past, like the cookie jar.

Getting ready for a big print weekend.

Messy book studio. Needs cleaning before our guests come.

The drawing is finished and etched. 3 drops nitric, one ounce gum arabic. Will print on Saturday. Tomorrow I am helping a student print her second color on her edition for the ASU exchange.

This is my new image for an upcoming portfolio exchange with ASU. I transferred my rough sketch on to the stone using red oxide transfer paper. I still have a bit to do. Going to crank some music, Wolf Parade and Damien Rice. Using all Korn's Copal crayon to draw with. Need to finish the stone drawing soon so I can etch it tonight...will print tomorrow. Debating whether or not to do color or just black and white. Need to start on the next portfolio due Feb 10th.

The day began slowly as usual...just finished a letter of recommendation for a student, printed and signed. Checked emails. Drank my 3rd cup of coffee, would drink more but the pot is empty. This is the view from the corner of my room. Nice mid day light. Syd my coyote/aussie dog friend is lounging waiting until I decide to really get up.

Haiti, Haiti, Haiti.

Just scanned in this image from my sketchbook. A memory drawing...need to get back to the open studio. I love drawing the figure with a sanguine pencil or conte. They have several options in town to draw from the live model. One is a good facility but bad parking. Another is located in the foothills, you know the hobbyists that talk to you a lot and ask a lot of questions. One at the University but I try to avoid going there if I can. These are my flimsy excuses. I see that Tom Huck is promoting Dr. Sketchy's Anti Art School in St. Louis. Wish we had one here. That would be the best.

The plan today is to draw on the stone today. Have a portfolio due Feb 5, another Feb 10.

Posting some "eye candy" from my sketchbook because I haven't had the time to make new pictures. This is "Ella", she's always had a problem with authority. te he te he.

Printed Today...

I helped someone print litho today at L VIS Press. She is a relief printmaker. Will try to print a second color in the next few days.

Haiti: Ready-To-Eat Food Reaches Hungry, More Needed

Haiti: Ready-To-Eat Food Reaches Hungry, More Needed

"He Cut the Knot", oil painting

Surprise!

Okay, those of you who know me won't be too surprised. So far, I have broken 12 out of 19 of my New Year's Resolutions. Only two weeks. In all honesty I didn't even reveal the REAL resolutions to you all. I'm going to still make an attempt. Don't give up on me. What's the saying "I am paved with good intentions?" No, I really know that the road to "H–ll" is paved with good intentions.

Tired and literally bruised from moving equipment, I am going to forgive myself and try again tomorrow. Must clean my slate so that I can start printing this week. Goodnight. Night time mantra, "I will print this weekend or else". Last night I dreamed I saved a gingerbread man from drowning. What in the world does that mean? I was really tired.

One of the test stones we worked with. Used a straight #5 Korn Copal pencil and etched with 1 oz. gum, 2 drop nitric and 3 drop phosphoric. Let set for 24 hrs. Detail held nicely gave a 6 drop nitric 1 oz. gum second etch. Their stones at Boulder are "to die for".

"Boulder's Sweet Print Palace"

Hangin' with my fellow print pals at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Lady L and The Navajo Picasso, printmakers with a great past, present and future. This last week couldn't have been more enjoyable...
experimenting on stone and ball grain plate using non-toxic litho solutions.

8 Degress Below Zero!!!!!

Spending a week with printmakers at the University of Colorado. They're setting up press studios in their brand new art building. "Amazing Space How Sweet..." If you love printmaking, you'll love their new digs. They not only have fabulous presses they have great studio work areas for their students as well as grad studios. The building is very "green", environmentally safer than most older print shops because of the state-of-art ventilation and lighting. They are reviewing the best in non-toxic materials for printmaking.

I have the pleasure of staying in a beautiful location just outside of Boulder with a good friend who is also an artist/printmaker.

Enjoying my new dog/people companions for the week, Annie and Demando.

Don't know how to walk in the snow...fell down tonight en route to the car.

Having a great time working on some lithos here with 2 other Colorado printmakers.
We're printing some demos tomorrow, cross your fingers that all will go well...

Finishing Up...

Things to do today... print final color for the Korea portfolio, cut and fold glassine, sign prints, laundry...run errands...post office, pack. Details. Cold here but going to a place with snow, need to find sweaters to pack. Going to see good friends, yeah.

"No Heaven for Dixie", Lithograph, 24" X 10"

New Year Resolutions

I'm going to give myself all day to complete this list
1. New mantra, "Paint or Die!", I seem to be fine with printing
2. Never ever, never ever, never ever use plastic grocery bags again
3. Write letters, not emails, to people I want to keep in touch with
4. Find a good place to hike (get rocker-sole shoes)
5. Complete 10 paintings by May
6. Look into people's eyes when we converse (maybe this means "listen" more, creepy strange huh?)
7. Meet portfolio deadlines
8. Enter more shows (argh)
9. Keep calm about political issues
10. Learn to cook 1 new recipe a month (more fish)
11. Document my P-Plate process
12. Print for D McNett in May
13. Organize painting studio (file drawings)
14. Work in the garden (clean, plant bulbs)
15. Artist residency (apply for grants)
16. Skype Zinnia
17. Groom Phil and Syd (dog people)
18. Experiment more
19. READ