Beatles Re-Enactment Concert

PIKE PLACE MARKETI skipped out on work today. Darrell, Lucy (in the Sky with Diamonds) and I went to Pike Place Market in Seattle to witness the 40th Anniversary Re-enactment of the Beatles Rooftop Concert.


We had a great time! So did Lucy. One of the men in the crowd was feeding her peanuts. She's such a mooch!

The day started out cold and foggy (was it London fog?). The sun broke out as the concert started, people danced and sang and had a great time.

Thank you Seattle!

SELF-PORTRAIT AS TREE

I signed up for this exchange on Barenforum months and months ago. It sounded like a really good idea at the time. I didn't think February 1st would come so quickly!

I put it off, and put it off until I ran out of time. Of course I did. It's the only way I ever get anything accomplished!


The first challenge was the paper size - 16" by 5-1/2" in a vertical format.

Tall and thin...that's perfect for trees - but not for my self-image of short and wide!

The second challenge is, of course, the self-portrait. I started thinking about what kind of tree I'd be, if I were a tree. Hmmmm.

After much reflection I decided I'd be a Willow, with very deep roots.

The next challenge is coming up with a do-able image. Not too complicated, limited colors, easy to translate into a print. I started with some colored pens and a web-search for pictures of willows. I arrived at this stylized version that I really like.

Everything went fine until my subconscious took over.


I don't know why but I drew a little fallen branch......my Moe.



From then on, anytime I worked on this project, I cried. I miss her so much.

My head pounded, I thought I was coming down with the flu and I cried.


Every step seemed to have it's own complications. But, I persevered, I was running out of time.


After I put them into the mail I realized, my head had stopped pounding and I was feeling pretty good, actually. I guess I had needed to work out some of my sorrow. Or I had put it into the print.

I don't know. I still miss her, but I don't cry at the drop of a hat anymore.

CLASSICAL ELEMENTS - WATER

Here is my second in the series for Four Oceans Press. This is a linocut, using three plates. Run through my Ettan press. The image is 6" by 9" on Rives paper.

Continuing on my theme of Classical Elements in our modern times. When we want water, we turn a faucet and there it is!

FRUIT ALPHABET

I joined in on another print exchange from Four Oceans Press. This one is Fruit Alphabet Exchange. Each participant picks a letter and makes an image of a fruit that represents that letter. I picked 'A' even knowing it would always be on the top of the pile!

I really wanted to do a simple apple. This is a woodblock reduction cut. I started with yellow, having cut out anything to remain white. Then I cut away the parts to remain yellow and printed the green. I added a little darker color to the bottom of the apple and the leaf. (Is that cheating?) I gave a lot of thought to just leaving it like that, (see below). But, I tried red on a few and decided that really made it pop. I added a litle extra brown to the stem at that time, too.

This is 'Apple', relief print reduction cut, image 6" by 8" on Rives paper.

Edition of 30, with one Variation entitled 'Green Apple'