Upon the Starry Bog

"Siabhra sails his boat till dawn upon the starry bog." 

(Siabhra is pronounced "Sheevra," and denotes a class of Irish fairy or spirit.)

The Green Man's Thorn

Well, this one has been on the easel for what feels like months. Much of that time it's been dormant, a subject of contemplation and equivocal feeling.  I've tweaked it recently and feel like I need to take it public. To continue with this project, I need to feel positive about the paintings I've done so far. I think that's finally happening.

The line of the lullaby is "Dusk is drawn, and the Green Man's thorn is wreathed in rings of fog." There are two more lines in the lullaby after this, so two more paintings await me!

The Corries --- Garten Mother's Lullaby

This is the song that I want to transform into a children's book. I have another painting in progress, but I haven't decided if it's done yet. I might go back and revamp the moon painting as well. But whenever I hear this song, I am inspired again to continue this project. It's not easy: I want every painting to stand on its own as a piece of art, out of the context of the lullaby and without the support of the other paintings. At the same time, all the paintings have to work together, be cohesive, and enhance the narrative of the lullaby. And be a decent book (I'm thinking a baby board book?)

Block Printing Tutorial

I've been wondering if anyone else is as clueless about "prints" as I am, or was.  Whenever I used to read the word "print," I thought, "reproduction" or "printout." I knew about screenprinting, and woodcut printing, but I just assumed that anyone making an original screenprint or woodcut print would *say* so.  So whenever I refer to my printed art as a "print," I try to communicate that it's not a computer-made reproduction.  I am also crossing my fingers that you know what the art involves.  Rather than rely on luck, how about a lesson in printing?

I don't profess to be an expert. I've read all of one book about printmaking, and have taken zero classes.  Nevertheless, I print. Here's how:

1.  I sit down with a piece of art linoleum or wood. I draw on it, or transfer a design with carbon paper, making sure my design is the mirror image of how I want it to be on the final product.

2. I start cutting out the design with the wood knives, creating shapes like you'd carve a pumpkin...the parts I shave out of the material are going to be paper-colored, and the parts that I leave behind are going to be colored. It's just like carving a rubber stamp.  I never fail to draw blood with those really sharp little carving knives.  One slip-up, and the whole block is ruined, or at least I have to adjust the design. Or I'm running for the first-aid kit.

3. When all the bits are carefully carved out, I can "ink" the block.  I can use acrylic paint if the viscosity is right, or printing ink, or even stamp-pad ink, rolled on with a rubber brayer. 

4.  I get out some smooth paper and try to line it up correctly over my block, before the ink or paint dries.  I press it down firmly on the block, then rub it all over with the back of a round wooden spoon.  Stamping the block onto the paper wouldn't work, there just isn't enough flexibility in the block to get an even transfer of ink to paper. 

5. I peel the print back and let it dry, or trash it if it didn't work. 

So when I say "hand-printed," "linotype," or "original woodblock print," this is what I mean!  I'm offering the greeting cards below for $4 each, and I hope you'll agree they're worth it.  They're 5x7 flat cards on pearlized gold paper, with matching envelopes. Each one is hand-printed using archival sepia-red ink, and signed and labeled on the back. The woodblock is my original work, titled "In the Moonlight."  Let me know if you're interested---I can mail a card to you for $0.50 extra.  I could also do a big batch for baby shower invitations or birth announcements.