New Addiction(s)

Okay, I know, I haven't posted since last August. It wasn't that I was being lazy. Well, maybe a little bit. As I stated on my painting blog, life was a bit hectic but is now calming down. The other thing that hasn't helped my focus, is the fact I got an iPhone in January. I have a whopping 3.2 meg camera with me at all times, not to mention a gazillion photo apps and instant information. There are some apps that are really interesting and mimic darkroom processes.

My favorites are Format 126, Hipstamatic, FilmLab, SwankoLab, TiltShift Gen, and Vint B&W. The photos actually print out surprisingly well but some of the apps that do not take photos in the native resolution of the iPhone are only good for posting to Twitter, Facebook, or sending via email. It doesn't replace film or my Canons but I love the spontaneity. The following photos were taken in a nearby park with various apps.

Clouds

                                        

Teddy Bear Cholla

Bat Tree

                                                 Evening Tree                                                                     

I was fortunate enough to take a fabulous moku hanga workshop with Hiroki Morinoue from Hawaii. It was two day and he brought a lot of carved blocks for students to print from. We printed our backgrounds using plain birch plywood, watercolor, and rice paste, slowly building color. The carved blocks were then used to overprint onto the backgrounds. It inspired me to carve some abstract designs onto wood. I'm almost finished with my first block and will post the process photos as well as the print.

Hiroki preparing to print, he has everything, including paper, within arm's reach.

   Two of Hiroki's recent abstract prints, he uses a lot of symbols that have deep meaning to him.

Student work (making backgrounds then overprinting with carved blocks).

I like the fact he also uses litho inks (lithography inks that don't contain a drier so it has a long tack time) for his larger work. Litho inks have a richness so I will probably experiment with both watercolor and ink.

Beetles

These could be spot-less ladybugs but they resemble more the dreaded Japanese beetle that used to devour my beloved antique roses! Ticks, mosquitoes, black flies, desert crickets, scorpions, and locusts are on my non-friendly insect list.

This is the last in this series, I have just sketched out a small lino block along the same leafy format and will post when printed.

This block is 12" x 12".

Firefly

Another bug in the series. I "etched" a few places very subtly with diluted Drano. It must be done carefully but linoleum responds to this technique and depending on how deep you let the Drano etch, an aquatint look can be achieved. It is painted on with a brush and this is a technique to be done outside or with plenty of good ventilation, and with gloves.

I was trying to use as fine a line as I could to carve this piece. This block is 12" x 12".

Leaf Bug

This is one in a series of linoleum blocks I made a while ago and printed them out on fabric. This print is printed on honsho but I think it would be interesting to print it out on paste paper.Block is 12"x12".