New work! Copper Etching "Summer Cow Parsnip"

My first etching on copper, the second in my series of Cow Parsnip or Heracleum lanatum...

I love the image itself and will play with it in other ways - I'll share the deliciously graphic image that I came up with in PhotoShop later.  I'm working on a relief print of it right now with the idea that I will try to print the two together, or print the etching with embossing.

For this one the etchent wasn't strong enough, but I like the soft, glossy look of the polished copper (I didn't add tooth as suggested, which allows the shine to come through in the etching~). Once again, I'm not done with it; I'd like to play with ink colors a little more as well as layering with the final relief for next critique (which is on Tuesday... so I better get to work!).

Also, the UAS Juried Student Show will be up for the rest of the month at the JACC gallery... Check it out!!  I didn't realize they had an image of my etching on the JAHC site for the show... that's cool:)

Newest work - 2012

This is my "cow parsnip" or Heracleum lanatum semester, so I will be doing 4 different version of one of my favorite plants. This is aptly titled "Heracleum lanatum" and I'm very happy with how it turned out!

I, also did a smaller plate since we had so much time to work on this first project. I've wanted to do cards for a while so I did a smaller version of "Freshly Fallen" to try it out. The aquatint in the background did it's own thing, but it gives it a dark moody setting that works well. My favorite card is one that came out too light and I drew the lines in with a pen... I might try that "technique" again... & these may end up being my Xmas cards ;)

Fall 2011 Semester

Well... I didn't post much for Fall 2011 Semester since much of what I was working on was personal (portraits), experimental (techniques), and didn't work the way I wanted them to.

The first one is a better scan of the "Centennial Hall Parking Lot" version for my "Parking Lots that were once my home" series.

The next ones are of Sierra (my son, Kanon's sister).  I wanted to do commemorative portraits from this last summer which was the first time they ever met.  She was 15 and he was 10, so it was a big deal.  They really loved each other and I hope they will stay in touch with each other for the rest of their lives~  The picture I used for Sierra's portrait was taken by Kanon soon after she arrived (so her eyes sparkle with the excitement of getting to meet him) and the picture of Kanon was the first picture taken with his sister (so he has a sheepish look on his face).  The frames are purposely elaborate and ornate to elevate them from regular portraits. As for the frames themselves, neither of them worked out like I wanted them to...  but I do love the portraits and will keep working on them to make them perfect!    

    

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Reworking of Centennial Hall p/l

Not quite right... The scale is wrong on the house and I couldn't get the etching dark enough. It's worth another shot, though~

It's a gorgeous day... And the last 2nd Saturday is goin on at the Airport Mall... Come say hello!

IF - Mysterious

 
I caught this mysterious raven as it began to fly away; I believe it had something (food/garbage) in it's claws, but that didn't show up in the photo, so I didn't add it to the illustration.

I haven't done an Illustration Friday challenge in a long time... I'm trying to kick start my creativity, because I will be starting Printmaking again on Wednesday!  I can't wait, but my ideas are scattered.  I want to do some portraits, trees, flowers, maybe a raven (maybe this raven...?), and some landscapes, but I'm not sure how to sell (as in justify) all of those things as one package.  Maybe if I start sketching the connection will appear naturally...

One more Second Saturday Market... Sept 10th @ Airport Mall P/L

I haven't been consistent with my posting...mostly I post on Facebook, but I'm trying to post all my art related here, too! I have spent the Summer checking out the "markets" and trying my hand at selling my prints... it has been a success!  I'm always amazed when someone "finds" my work and falls in love with something.  It is a fun process to watch!  And I'm thankful to everyone who has fallen in love with something and taken it home, it is great validation to know I'm not the only one who like these creations!~

These are images from August Second Saturday Market... one more Second Saturday Market is coming up on Sept 10th @ the parking lot of the Airport Mall! It's organized by Home Spun Mercantile, an awesome arts and crafts consignment shop (behind Donna's, next to Curves); they are there year-round... On Sept 10 come check out all the fun crafts, art, food, produce, etc ~and wish for nice weather!

Juneau Artist Market - Sunday Market at the JACC 12-3pm!

Come down and see all the arts, crafts, and produce!

Basin Rd - parking lot #1

The first of my childhood homes that is now a parking lot...

This etching is of the house on  Basin Road which was the second house I lived in as a child... the first one was on Calhoun which was my address when I was born; they moved me here when I was 3 months old (actually born in CA). No one (that I've talked to lately) in my family can remember what the address was on Calhoun - but I think it was towards the park and not where the apts that were torn down in the 80's-90's. I think that is one that is still standing!

So, from the age of (?) 6 months to 4 1/2 years we lived in the house that no longer exists on Basin Road.  It was right across from what is now a B&B and the Wiley's. I guess my parents were going to buy it but the city condemned it because the foundation was giving way.  It would have ended up in the sandbox in Evergreen Bowl (known today as Cope Park). I would go down the very steep hill to play in the park when allowed.The Wiley's told me the owner had cables running from the house across the road and attached to the hillside to keep it from sliding down the hill - that was after we moved.  

That was the 70's when Juneau was a truly small town... everyone knew everyone and the valley was really the boondocks. The building boom happened in the 80's creating what I always thought of as the suburbs (ha!) until I actually lived outside of Denver.

My Dad worked at the State as a Computer Programmer and my Mom opened a macramé shop called "Lois' Hangups" in the Emporium mall.  I would hang out there occasionally... Foggy Mountain Shop opened soon after she did and I would play in the tents and I guess I colored on their walls which they hid with the tents~  There was a toy-maker who had a shop there as well and I would watch him create toys out of wood.

The carefree 70's!

Centennial Hall Parking Lot

This is number two in the "Parking Lots That Were Once My Homes" series... this is just the etching, but each piece will consist of an etching of the modern day view and a relief/embossing of the old house... The houses are simplistic to represent my childhood memories of these places.  The relief/embossed images are supposed to be faded like the memories of them, almost like an afterimage that you would see after looking at a bright light.  My intention is to layer the two different media to compare and contrast them by superimposing the house image on top of the modern views of the places where they once stood.

 

Willoughby St. (Channel Apts)

First in the series of four "Parking Lots That Were Once My
Homes"...  It's the first etching, but it was the 2nd one that I live in after we moved back from CA in 1979.

This one was on the big corner on Willoughby.  3rd and 4th grade... use to walk up the stairs to Capital School.  We would play in the SOB parking garage - climbing up the sides and jumping off the top into the snow they would (and still do) pile up along the outside.  We all ran wild back then...  it was a smaller and safer town, but we could always find trouble if we looked hard enough!  Life further "out the road" was much different and running wild changed a lot when we moved to Lemon Creek when I was in 6th grade.  It meant running through the woods and playing near the creek since there really wasn't anything that was close enough or interesting enough to walk to.

West 10th & D

My latest etching of "Parking lots that were once my homes"...

This was at West 10th and D Street - We lived here the year the first Dividends went out and sat mesmerized in front of the TV when MTV first came on the air.  The church owned the house next door and ours - we did not attend... my parents were Unitarians but didn't make us go.  Someone left an old three speed bike in the garage and they told my Dad I could have it... freedom!  I rode all over - trying to keep in touch with friends in the old neighborhood, but they weren't as accepting of me now that I lived else-where.  It helped widen our world though and I made other friends and the old ones realized there were other neighborhoods to play in and explore.

Journey, Pat Benatar, The Police, J. Giles Band, Blondie etc were popular and this was the year I started buying records.  I bought a turntable at a garage sale and inherited an old boombox someone didn't want any more.  I remember begging to watch The Blue Lagoon on TV...

I walk part of the same route to work every day that I once walked on the way to Capital School - 5th grade.  I hated walking after a while and would beg my Dad to drive me... I don't think it ever worked.  Now I enjoy the exercise and love to look at the scenery that has changed very little since those days... houses are different colors and cars are modern but not much else is new on Calhoun.

Winter Berries

The latest "Winter Berries" - it's an Aquatint... No lines etched yet;
I will dry point etch lines next month, but I really like the look of
these so far~

"Sea Urchin" in the frame I made this last Spring~ I like the way it turned out!

Night of Gallery Walk...

Thanks to everyone who stopped by! I also saw Rob Roy's, Sherrie
McDonald, Ruby Room, Juneau Artist Gallery, Plein Rain, and UAS
Student Show... So many talented people in our little town!

They are hanging...

Only two small things that I forgot, so off without (much of) a hitch!

I'll take more close-ups tonight!

My First Solo Show

Here's my final flyer/postcard... My show will be hanging at the Heritage Cafe on 2nd Street (in Juneau) through the end of December... I'll be there tomorrow night, Dec 3rd, for Gallery Walk from 6:00-7:30pm - come say hello if you can!

This project was funded in part by the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council - We are very lucky to have an organization helping local artist!