experiments in printing

 I really love the look of prints. I'd love to a course in print making one day.  For my birthday my dad sent me a voucher for Dick Blick art supplies, and I took advantage of it and bought some print making supplies. Soft "lino" blocks and some printing ink.  They've sat there for months, and I've been a little scared of it all; a little tentative and I really had no idea what to do.  That blank page syndrome.  But yesterday I managed to come up with an idea and came up with this.  A bit reminiscent of Pierre Bonnard (I've always loved his bathroom paintings).

 Oscar did a print making course earlier in the year.  They focused more on screen printing (I really want to try that too), but Oscar had asked his teacher if he could have a go at lino printing.  He's had the piece of lino sitting in his room half finished for months.  I actually love it (especially the little people) - he based it on a photo he took in Manhattan (probably from the train going in judging by the angle).  So I thought that while I was making some prints of mine, I'd make some of his, so he could at least see it and work out where he wanted to work on it some more.

Ack!  I didn't realise the actual printing was the hard part.  Getting the inking right, making sure that there weren't any tiny little bits of gunk on them (which come out as massive marks on the print).  I went through many pieces of paper before I gave up for the day, without getting a perfect print of either.  But it was fun and I'm learning.

studio futzing

 Happy Australia Day (although I know it has come and gone in Australia).  The kids were over the moon that I made them lamingtons for after school snack today.



And while it rained/snowed/sleeted on and off through the day, I took myself up to my studio to kind of futz around on a few ideas that have been rattling around in my head lately. (avoiding sick children- Kit was home with a cold today and Oscar and Remi have been sneezing all over the place too).



This little chipmunk almost got made into a 3 dimensional painted fabric little guy, but half way through, I decided he wasn't working so he was deconstructed.  But I still liked him, so I had a go at painting him  2 dimensionally.

 And I had a play around with doing some collages.  Kind of like my pillows, but I'm waiting to make some more of those until I work out the best way to just make covers as the postage costs of sending a full cushion is just to much.  These photos were all taken tonight, so they're a bit dodgy. (And we're off to VT tomorrow -finally- so I wasn't sure if I'd get around to doing this post then).  That's why I put both photos in... to give you a better idea.  I matted this one, as I had a spare mat that fitted.

 And a raccoon and fox who were too big for the mat.  I kind of like where these are going- would be cute in a kid's room, but not sure they are how I want them yet.  The fox looks like he has sunglasses on...

I really want to make some more of the cushions.  I sold all my foxes (except for one I kept for myself), so I think I might make some more of those.  And I want to make another raccoon as I loved that one and almost kept it too.  But the woman who bought him said she loves him, so I have to be happy with that.

Something different

This is the painting that's been kicking around in my head. Inspired by the woods I see everyday when I drive up to the high school to pick up Oscar and Remi. I'm really happy with it as it was such unchartered territory for me. I used some gel medium to give the paint texture - something I haven't tried before and the whole thing was painted with a knife.

This is more traditional me- our vent cover.

And here's my line up of art to take up to VT this weekend. I have also added to the mountain painting- I was so inspired by the texture of the gel medium, that I used it for the fields in the foreground.

My obsessions

I'm really loving this tree stamp- and thanks so much to those of you who have passed on your admiration of it as well. I have posted about the wonderful Staedtler carving blocks before. They are just like giant erasers and so easy to carve. LOVE them. The best tutorial for them is here.

I went and bought some more stamp pads. I use the color block ones- they're really the best and have gorgeous colours. I stamped up a whole forest of trees and I think they look great. I'd love to do a huge "canvas" just covered in trees like this.

I'm planning to get organised and put some of these in my etsy shop - probably next week.

My other obsession is Dr. Who. We are still catching up on the old series- the David (BLOODY GORGEOUS) Tennant series. As some one who grew up with Dr. Who, I am so pleased to have the doctor back in my life. The new series are so fantastic. And best of all is that it is truly a show that the whole family will sit down and watch- and we all LOVE it. The highlight of our day is being able to watch a Dr. Who episode together. I think about it all when I'm at the gym and we even discuss the different doctor dreams we've been having. And yes, I MAY have done a little David Tennant e stalking this week- watching various UK talk show clips on you tube with him on, but I just LOVE him as the doctor. He is the BEST doctor. He gets who and what the doctor is supposed to be because, like me, he grew up watching it. And I love that now MY kids are growing up watching it. You can't say that about many TV shows can you!

I may even have to make a stamp of the tardis- combine my two current obsessions....Ella went to bed the other night and in the morning came down with a drawing she'd done of the TARDIS flying through time and space. The girl is nearly obsessed as me!

New Print

More Fungi.  I like Fungi.

No paintings today as I have had to repair a hole in the dry wall in the kitchen where Remi punched it when he was angry.  Ah, the joys of teenage boys!  Having never done this before, it meant a lot of research on the computer and a trip to the hardware store.  But now I have an excuse to paint the kitchen.  ALL the walls in this house are white.  And not a nice white; more a kind of insitutional white.  And of course white walls STAY white with 4 children.  OH BOY!  So I will paint the walls in the kitchen a light cappucino white.  This may mean that we have made the decision to stay in the house another year...Not really sure yet.