Feet and Yellow Hats

Yesterday I started cutting this block of telephone workers at Sydney's. I cut the image out of the paper when I saw all those wires. It's a reduction print, but with only two colors. I painted the paper first for the gray sky. Then I did the light gray, then the dark. On the last printing I cut out little pieces of yellow for the hats, hoping to make some sense out of the image. I don't know if I did or not, since I know what it is anyway. I like the print nevertheless.

Then I did a mixed media piece for the show with Thom. He took pictures in Hawaii of the hula, including this one of a girl's feet. I loved it immediately and tried to paint it in oil several weeks ago. I didn't like it, so tried watercolor. The paper I used was impossible, so I added pastel over the painting. It's the first mixed media thing I've done that I really like.

I am certainly on a roll...........

........and now watercolor

Three Versions

Thom's photo on the left inspired me to try three different versions. It was fun to cut the woodblocks into so many different shapes and I like the results. The first one is a reduction print, the second is the woodblock printed over a gouache painting, and the third is the same block with chine collee. I wanted to see what it looked like to put the more color on without destroying the block as you go along. The last two are very small.

I haven't written much about what is going on in my life lately simply because nothing is going on but this artwork. I spend all day in my studio, flinging work after work on the floor and starting another. I even moved the dogs' old beds up there so they could be comfortable staying with me while I worked. I like being so absorbed. so focused.

Patrick and his Toys