Two Awesome Breeds!

It is amazing how popular some breeds of dogs are.  I realized this on Thanksgiving day when there was equal advertising for both the Thanksgiving Day parade telecast AND the Kennel Club Dog Show.  It is clear that within each category of dogs, there are favorites among the crowd in attendance.

Dalmatians were popular in the community near where my father grew up.  There were several breeders who specialized in dalmatians, and it wasn't until long after we got a dalmatian that we realized they were often inbred.  The first dog we got was deaf.  Evidently this is a common characteristic of breed.  The reason often given is that the ancestor dogs lost their hearing when running next to the horses pulling fire wagons.  That, however, supports Larmarkian thinking over Darwinian, so not sure the belief passes the "smell test." Breeding dogs in the same lineage and increasing the probability of the recessive hearing/deaf gene to surface makes much more scientific sense. 

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Dalmatian relief print - Daniel Smith black relief ink.  Hand painted with FW acrylic ink on Strathmore 400 series printmaker paper.

The dachshund seems to be a very popular dog in some communities.  We had a wonderful dachshund when I was growing up.  In the Thanksgiving Day dog show, I was amazed to see the number of different varieties of this dog; brown, black, long hair, short hair, etc.  Their long, low physique was  valued by badger hunters.  Hard to believe that our mild-mannered dachshund could hold her own with a ferocious badger, but that is the core of the breed's attributes! 

Dachshund relief print - hand painted.  Printed with Daniel Smith black relief ink and hand painted with FW acrylic inks on 400 series Strathmore printmaker paper. 

It is also not surprising to learn that dachshunds are susceptible to back and spinal injuries....I learned that during the Kennel Club Show.  BTW - looking for a cute movie that spoofs the dog show craze - "Best in Show" provides some good laughs  !

A Trational Spot of Tea.....

Teapot #1 - original drawing.  Pencil followed with black India ink and white China marker on 400 series tan Strathmore paper.  ...

I am working on brewing some new ideas for relief printing.  I have had a request for an "on the rocks" beverage and a martini with at least one olive.   I am thinking both of these could be basic line images so that they could be enhanced a couple of different ways with the addition of color.....

I am also thinking about trying some monochromatic blocks that can have dimensional enhancements with shading.  If done correctly, these will take substantially more time to carve and the beverages mentioned above will take more time to paint.

Also feeling the need to grab camera and/or phone and go on an image-collection hunt.  I was disappointed that a nearby otter enclosure advertised to open soon seems to be a long way from the debut "reveal!"  I have learned that "early in 2016" actually means......some time before July 1st.....so much for language nuances,

I am also going to begin experimenting with the new Golden High Flow acrylic paints being offered for air-brushers and as a competitor to acrylic inks.  Of course I will begin with the color of Golden that is the closest to the FW acrylic I am out of and ....go from there. 

Tea for Two - Setting

Just for fun, I wanted to try a mini scene.

Tea for Two -Setting relief block - Speedball carved block, inked with Black Ranger ink to check for needed modifications.

Filling the block in this way completely avoids any concerns about stray ink lines made by random high- points; most open areas are less than a half an inch from an intentional line.  I am not sure this will be an interesting print, but it does provide a good reminder of the use of space in relief printing - it is about much more than composition - it is also about function of the material.

Tea for Two - Setting - Proof print.  Black Ranger ink on 300 series Strathmore printmaker paper.

After pulling the first print, I see that with so much of the relief block raised to collect ink, it will be essential to ink thoroughly.  Because this is much more ridge dense than many of my pieces, using a wide brayer and tube ink will probably create the best results! Notice on the right hand side, minimal ink is NOT enough to cover the image.  there are also some stray cut lines that need to be removed; because they create a pattern, they are highly noticeable. 

Touch of Turkish #3

Because the shadow and contour lines are so pronounced in this image, I wanted to try a couple of different printing options, including printing on a colored paper AND adding very minimal color with patterning. 

Whimsy Pot - Black Ranger ink on gray 300 series Strathmore paper.

The image above is bold and might work on something that will carry a lot of text.  It almost suggests a one-color run of a business card or add for a Turkish coffee house.  With the addition of a very simple pattern, the "flavor" of the image can move toward more whimsy, as it's name suggests.

Whimsy Pot - Printed with Daniel Smith relief ink and hand-painted with FW acrylic inks on 400 series Strathmore printmaker paper.

Sticking with very a monochromatic palette, I decided to add the details in patterns and not in colors or in significant shading.  Because the shadow lines carved so heavily into the relief block, additional shadows seemed very heavy-handed.  I am sure over time, I will try variations of color-added.

Whimsy Pot - Printed with Daniel Smith relief ink and hand-painted with FW acrylic inks on 400 series Strathmore printmaker paper.

Once again it is fun to experiment with multiple copies of the same line print and alter the hand painted colors to change the image.  As you can see in the second painted teapot, the purple of the first painting is now gold and rust.....from cartoonish to far-Eastern with a little color change. 

Touch of Turkish #2

I also decided to leave in the surplus relief material around the top left hand corner and the lower right hand corner.  Once I pull a couple of proofs, I will know if these areas will pick up random black shadow lines, or if they will stay clean.  Careful inking will help keep these areas clear!!!

Whimsy Pot with a little Turkish influence relief block - inked with Ranger black ink to check for random marks

As you probably noticed, I made some minor modification to the contour lines and shadows during the carving process.  I think I would go back and add some of the heavier contour lines to the base section IF this were possible to do - of course, it is not.  I could always go into each print and add more contouring with black India ink or other shading -

Whimsy Pot - Proof #1 - Black Ranger ink on 300 series Strathmore printmaker paper.

Interestingly, the shadow lines that still need to be removed are close to the edges of the pot image with the exception of the far right hand edge.  I have learned that the edges are sometimes the most challenging to carve cleanly.  By turning the block multiple directions, I have been able to get the best results. 

Whimsey Pot - Proof #2 - Ranger black ink on 400 series Strathmore printmaker paper.

A Touch of Turkish

The inspiration for this hand-crafted clay pot came from a pottery show I recently attended.  Each year the same group of female potters host a show.  Their works spans a broad range of styles, from very traditional vessels, to innovative wall decor and re-purposed forms.  The work displayed by this potter  was comprised of multiple pieces.  On all of the pieces, the joint seams were very raw and exposed, and created the impression that they would easily disconnect, despite being glazed and fired. 

Whimsy Pot - Pencil under black India ink, ready for the transfer sheet and soft graphite.

There were parts of the pieces I found inspiring, however, and decided to make a sketch once I got home, that is somewhat reminiscent of Mrs. Potts and friends from Disney fame.  As with many of my 2-D pieces, there is a sense of animation and movement woven into the image. 

Whimsy Pot - Drawing ready for soft graphite on the left and image on transfer paper on the right.

I debated about whether or not I wanted to invest the time to transfer and carve this image.  It's uses seem very limited to me, and it is more about working to animate an stationary object than to create an image for printing.....did it anyway.  See the relief block below!

Whimsy sketch on the left.  Carved and inked relief Speedball block on the right.  

I decided to leave in the shadow lines on the block, at least for the first proof and prints.  If I remove these, I can always go into the finished print and add shadows from a variety of light-source locations.  One of the advantages of this art form is the ability to go in later and remove parts, and print again.  As I have said earlier, however, once it is gone, it is gone for good!  For now, the shadow lines will stay. 

Hand Painted Pots

Although it is clear that all of the teapots below are the same image, it is intriguing to compare and contrast the differences based on the addition of color.  The top one is very basic and almost appears to be a watercolor painting.  The darker teal colors in the shadowed contours of the pot are subtle, but somewhat effective in helping create some depth and volume.

Teapot #1 - color variation #1 - Daniel Smith relief ink on 400 series Strathmore printmaker paper.  Color added with FW acrylic inks, hand painted.

Although no color has been added to the teapot below as an overall color, the swirl pattern warms it up and suggests it has an overall color.  I originally thought about carving these swirls into the block, but did not want to be locked in to the same swirls each time AND that would mean that unless I carved a second block for the swirls, like I had done for the tea leaves in the solo teabag, that the shadow lines, contour lines AND swirls would all be the same color as the line elements defining the teapot - not appealing!

By adding swirls in one color and a total, overall color to the entire pot,
(as in the second picture below, ) the teapot takes on a warm glow.  Perhaps this version is more reminiscent of the first Yixing pots made of red clay, or their ancestors that were made of clay, but decorated for emperors to brew their tea soup.

Teapot #1 - color variation #2 - Daniel Smith relief ink and FW acrylic ink, hand swirled, printed and painted on 400 series Strathmore printmaker paper.    

                                                                                                                                                     
If you are into the new rage in adult coloring book options, you can see how the ability to make multiple original prints and add different colors to each is so appealing!  

Happy New Year - Here's to you with a nice, hot cup of tea!!!