BARENFORUM EXCHANGE 43

If if wasn't for deadlines would anything ever get done?

I've been thinking about the print I need to make for Barenforum's Exchange 43. The subject is 'Typography'. What the heck is typography?

I love the internet...so, care of www.dictionary.com:

ty⋅pog⋅ra⋅phy

  [tahy-pog-ruh-fee]

–noun

1.	the art or process of printing with type.

2.	the work of setting and arranging types and of printing from them.

3.	the general character or appearance of printed matter.

This still didn't give me any ideas!

So, I employed my husband Darrell's method of creativity - cram your head with ideas, images, thoughts, facts and figures. Then, let them stew in the brain-pan for a while (for me, the longer the better). Then you don't look at images anymore and just start drawing.

Hey! It actually worked this time. Although, once I came up with this idea I did look at the old typewriter we had recently pulled from a dumpster that I have in my studio (it's a future project, itself).

So, now, I'm sharpening my carving tools. And, I won't make the same mistake with the wood that I made on my Christmas card print. I'll be using Jelotung, or cherry, although, I find cherry a little difficult to carve because of it's density. But that is what makes it such a great wood for fine lines. I need to really sharpen my tools and keep them sharp during the process.

Stay tuned! (it's due February 1st)

STAMPEDE of the OX

They are on their way....finally!

I took a big pile of envelopes to the Post Office today (54 I think), I had to go to the counter to get overseas stamps. Luckily, I went early and beat the crowd.

Here is this year's Year of the Ox postcard exchange for Barenforum. It's from a doodle-type drawing I did while thinking about this year's exchange and decided what the heck, why not?

It's an etching I did on copperplates. The first time I've used copper. I made three plates, but ended up using only two, I didn't like the one that was for the background. So instead, I went with heavy plate tone. I've always liked a good plate tone!

I tried coloring the horns a la poupee', with varying bad results, so I switched to chine colle.

I used some colored papers I already had for the horns on the rest of them. I also tried several different color combinations.

I'm not a very good printer - I'm always experimenting and have a hard time making an 'edition'.

I hope you enjoy them, and Happy New Year!

Year of the Ox, a year of Prosperity through Fortitude and Hard Work.