MY PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

Here's my contribution to Maria Arango's Monumental Collaborative Puzzle Print "The Fantastic Garden".

Of course, I'm down to the wire, it's due back to Maria on August 31st. 

When I think of a garden, I think of peace and serenity.  So, I had to go with a Buddha statue.  We have one in our front yard under our huge Cedrus Deodora tree.  I love it.  Our yard is very peaceful and a nice relaxing place to be.

MAILING MY YOT SNAKE CARD

I finished my Year of the Snake card this week and put it in the mail today.  They are slithering their way all over the globe, hopefully there's one on it's way to you.  Below are some progress pictures.

I did a reduction cut on a piece of bass wood. (Meaning I used the same block of wood throughout the process, cutting away the parts I want to remain the color I just printed)

I rolled on the Akua Intaglio inks with a brayer and used a baren to transfer it to the paper, which is probably Rives (I forgot to write down what it was after I bought it).

The pictures are in reverse order, the first steps are at the bottom...

Finished!

All the cards laid out to dry

Made quite the mess trying to decide on final color

Auditioning different colors for final outline

After the third color 

Rolling on the third color - a darker green

Second color - light green

First color - Red

First stage of block

Carving using a magnifying glass with a light

The original drawing

Happy New Year!

Hope the Year of the Snake is a great one for you and yours!

STARTED ON YOT DRAGON PRINT

I struggled with the drawing for my Year of the Dragon print.  I had a clear concept, The Dragon With the Girl Tattoo, but I couldn't get the image in my head to materialize on paper.


But I had an epiphany while on our walk in Lincoln Park.


It finally came together, and I decided not to fuss with it any more.  


I like it.

I sanded up some 4" by 6" blocks of Basswood that I had laying about and started carving the 'key block'.

I inked up the block to in order to transfer the image unto the second block and also printed one copy, thinking I would use some colored pencils to experiment with color.  I should have printed more, duh.  I also see some boo-boos that need to be fixed (particularly the girl's knee where the knife slipped).  We got busy after dinner and I never did color it in.  I'm thinking about trying a 'rainbow roll'.  We'll see.  I'll be carving the easier color block tomorrow.

CITY OF THE WORLD

I finally finished my block for the City of the World Project by Maria Arango of Reno, Nevada.  She organizes these Monumental Puzzle Print Projects (and blogs about them).  This is the first one I've been involved in.  

She's a dynamo.

Basically, she plans a large puzzle print, cuts out the pieces of the puzzle, mails them out to participants, who carve an image into them and mail them back to her.  She then puts the pieces back together, inks it up and prints up enough prints for everyone, then mails each participant a print.  Sounds easy, huh?  Pah!

You never know what you'll get in the end, and you have to put your trust in a lot of people to follow through, but boy, what a payoff in the end.

I'm secretly hoping I can make myself available to go down and help her with the printing this year. I don't know how much help I'd be, but I'd sure learn a lot.

CARVING ISSUES

You should have your plan worked out before you start cutting. That's rule one, right?

"Measure twice, cut once."

"Haste makes waste."

"Think twice before making a final decision."

To give myself credit, I did have it all worked out before I started cutting. I just came up with a better plan.

"Don't change horses in the middle of the stream."

Anyway, long story, short blog about it:

I decided the only way I could make my print the way I wanted was to use a stencil....didn't really want to do that (stencils have their own issues), so I was hesitant, but started in.

I made lots of drawings, using first watercolor, then (even better) colored pencils. I made all kinds of colored drawings.

And, then I started cutting. And then I came up with a better idea. And I re-cut. And then came up with an even better idea, but I had cut out the wrong part already. Drat!

So, I got out the putty.

I guess I could come up with an even better plan if the putty doesn't work.

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.