Don't forget

The CIAO art show is this weekend. If you are close to Grand Isle and want to come out, there will be over 60 artists represented! It should be a great showing. It starts Friday afternoon and goes all weekend. There will be demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. Here is a sneak preview of one of the pieces that I will have in the show.

See you this weekend!

New work and connections

Last week was a very productive and inspiring week for me. I spent a lot of time with Marielle and we had a blast! She is such a good baby and I love her more and more every day. I was able to get some work done too! I finished two pieces.


These two sweet little prints are part of my fields series that I have been working on in monotype, but have now extended the series to relief prints. These two are done with BFK paper and Akua inks.

Akua inks are non-toxic and have a great consistency and wonderful colors, but there is a big learning curve to them. I feel like I am still learning them. The more I use them the more I feel like I am mastering them.

I went to the open Farm and Studio tour here in the Champlain Islands this past weekend. I was amazed to find so many wonderful artists here in my backyard. I got to talking with some of the artists and was extended an invitation to join a group that meets every Monday. They work on supporting one another and increasing their creativity. I went the other night and felt so welcomed. I feel like I have found a new home. I also joined the CIAO (Champlain Island Artists' Organization) and will be in their yearly art show which takes place next weekend. I am very excited to find a local community to connect with about art.

first day of Vacation

Today I went for a 50 minutes bike ride with my the new bike trailer I got for the babe. It was wonderful and such a gorgeous morning. She was a little uncomfortable with her helmet on, but fell asleep half way through and seemed to enjoy herself. I know I did!

I took advantage of her nap time and cleaned out my studio a little. I found a whole box of paper that I ordered months ago and had not even opened. Yeah! I am so excited to do some printing. I am hoping to spend good quality time with babe going to the beach in the mornings when we have nice weather... and tire her out! that way I can get a decent amount of time to do some printing. It's win win for both of us. Then bike rides in the afternoon.

Too bad that the next two days is forcasted for rain, but the end of the week looks good. So hopefully my plan will work. I have some ideas burning in my head for some monoprints. I have not been able to do any monoprints in months and months. So I am really excited to play around and do some experimenting.

So... the first day was productive. Let's hope it continues.

Inspiration to keep on track

Since I have decided to concentrate more on relief printmaking, the ideas have been churning and gestating in my soul. I have been doing a little bit of sketching. Not every day, but when inspiration hits I have been able to formulate and sketch a few good ideas to keep for when I have time to carve and print.

The ideas have continued to flow, and I have been inspired lately to try doing some block prints on fabric related items. I had considered doing screen printing, but didn't want to stray from my promise to stick to one medium for awhile and see where it takes me. I had done some reading of other artist blogs and websites and there are many artist who have had great success block printing right onto fabric! I have many ideas for some new children's wares, tea towels etc. I had a gift certificate from my father burning a hole in my pocket and I was waiting until just the right idea came along in order to use it. The other day I ordered some fabric inks from DickBlick and am waiting for them to get shipped. I can't wait to give them a try and see how my experiment turns out.

Oh, and on the smudge ink problems I was having with Akua intaglio inks that I used for relief, I emailed Susan Rostow, the owner of the business. She got back to me super quick with some ideas to try for my current prints and a few hints to use for future prints. I can't wait to give them a try. Thanks Susan!

new specs

Check out my new specs. I went with a little bit of conservative because they are dark brown frames. but they have a flash of funk. The sides and inside rim are blue and they reflect a lot of light when you turn the right way. Great for the day job and good for my funky personality.

Not much art this week. I started printing a new series and don't have the right color of ink to do the next layer. I have been using Akua inks. I love them, but they are not drying the way I would like. I am using recommended papers, but when I use dry paper they still tend to rub color when touched. hmmm. Don't know what to do about that. Let me know if you have any suggestions. They work great when I pull monoprints with wet paper. But with relief work they tend to dry with a residue. Any suggestions?

Did you think I forgot?

I have been promising to upload some images for a long time and have not been able to get it done. I have been working slowly on this series for a couple of months now. I was inspired by the Cairn jigsaw print that was created by the Baren members and put together by Maria Arango, a fabulous artist in Nevada. I apologize for the quality of the photos. I was not able to scan them properly and only had time to take quick snapshots of them.

I chose to use the silhouette of Mount Mansfield, our largest peak in Vermont. I get to see it every day when I walk out of my farm house. It has always held a special place in my heart and is a vital part of the Vermont scenery.

I carved several blocks and then cut them along the mountain range. I have been able to mix and match to create different pieces. It has been a time of great exploration for me as each piece alters the way I look at the blocks and I have changed some mid-stream. I don't intend to number the addition, however there will only be limited editions of each type of print as they will vary in color and shapes.

I used a very simple style with a whimsical flair to represent several of the things that remind me of Vermont and our culture here in the Green Mountain State. I think I have more to come in this series. I feel some other ideas brewing but have not had enough time to put them down on paper.

Spring has been a nice change in our area, well really it is early spring a.k.a mud season. The warmer weather has been welcomed and it seems to affect everyone positively. I have had more energy lately and hope to put more time in the studio. I have been doing more sketching when an idea strikes me and I hope to continue this practice so that when I have the time to carve and print there are designs ready and waiting to be worked. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to start printing a few new pieces that I had carved a few weeks ago. It felt good to break out the inks and put my press to work.

I hope you enjoy your weekend and have beautiful weather.

What really matters

This post is not really about art, but I felt the need to share pieces of my life that feed the undercurrent for my work.

This weekend I had to face the fact that our lives are fleeting and temporary. I spent time with a family member who has stage four cancer. She told me she just hopes for more time. That statement keeps haunting me as I sit here and perseverate on all that happened in the last few days. It got me thinking about what matters in life and what really counts in the long run.

Over the last few years, my husband and I have had a lot of conversations and made a lot of changes. We live a quiet life in the country and try to keep things simple. We bought an old farmhouse and have spent the last five years renovating. We keep a garden in the summer and try to provide as much of our own food as we can. We reduce, reuse, and recycle every day. We help each other make time for our passions; art for me and music for him. We work hard to make the focus of our lives spending time with people we love, and doing the things that bring us joy.

We started making these changes as we became more and more disillusioned about what was going on around us. Our society spends too much time being consumers and worrying about having shiny cars and big houses. We want to look like models and live like celebrities. And if that isn't enough, there is no focus on the here and now. Just when you get something accomplished in your life, people are asking you about your next move. You graduate college, it's when are you going to get a job. You find the "right" person, it's when are you going to get married, buy a home, have children, and retire. And god forbid you don't have a five year plan and a desire to climb the corporate ladder.

I'll be the first to admit that these things all used to have meaning for me. I thought that was what we were supposed to strive towards. As I grew into myself more and more, I realized it was not what I wanted.

Even with all the changes my husband and I have made in our lives, it still give me pause to hear those simple words; I just want more time. With as much as I think about making this life count, I still have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy all the little things that make up my day.

I have to put tasks out of my mind and enjoy watching my daughter play and walk across the room for the first time.

I have to put my day job out of my mind when I get home so that I can enjoy my family.

I have to shut off the television and make my way to the studio and pick up a brayer and some ink.

I have to put my need to "produce" work out of my mind and just truly enjoy the act of creating.

So the gift from this incredibly emotional weekend is a lesson; Enjoy each moment in time because it may be your last. Savor it, live it, and love it. Do what really matters.