COLLABORATION

I spent a few days helping some friends with a big print project.  See all about it at MCPP Puzzle Prints

A great time was had by all.  It's always fun to meet up with people you usually only connect with via the soulless internet. 

I want to thank Maria for coming up with the hare-brained idea, executing it so beautifully (and blogging about it, see above), and being such a kindhearted person.  And I want to thank Doug, who came all the way from Colorado Springs to help out, he was a tireless workhorse.  And I want to thank Sherri, from Vancouver, WA and Barbara from Aloha, OR, our most magnanimous hosts.  Offering up your wonderful studio, Atelier Meridian, for our use was very generous (thank you for the meals you bought also).  I love that Takach Press! 

You made us all feel at home and I still can't believe how much fun was had while we toiled so tirelessly.

Count me in next time!

WINTER IS FINALLY DONE

I put in approximate 7 hours and 40 minutes to hand sew down the binding onto the back of the quilt.  Yeah, I was surprised it took that long, too.  But, it's always a very relaxing and gratifying chore.

I finish a quilt with a touch of satisfaction and a touch of sadness.  It's over, I won't be working on it anymore.  Time to move on.

TURNING A TOP INTO A QUILT

I finally got around to finishing the back for my Connecticut Winter Quilt and last Saturday I pinned the three layers together.  As per my usual method, I clear out the tables and stuff from the studio, clean the floor and tape the back taunt to the floor, spread out the batting and smooth down the top then start putting safety pins all over 2-3" apart to hold all three layers together:

Bentley helped

sorta....

I've been putting off starting the quilting because I haven't made up my mind how to quilt it.  I always get stuck here.  The problem is the quilt is big, which makes it difficult  to get through the machine.  I was thinking about doing a 'fan' pattern.  I've done that before on another quilt that was all squares and it really turned out nice.  It's a lot of marking the quilt, stopping and tying off, and making sure the pattern stays square with the quilt.  I decided against it because the quilt is just so darn big.  Which leaves me limited to easy patterns using the walking foot.  So that's what I did - I took the easy way out...because it's just a quilt for using, it's not a show winner.

I just followed the outside line of the 'fiddlestick' in each block, making it up where it was going the other direction.  

This is pretty easy since you can go from side to side.  Once I got one direction done I turned it and started in the other direction.

close-up of the quilting on the back on my hand-dyed fabric

a bigger section of the back

I should have it all quilted by tomorrow, then I'll start on the binding.  

BENTLEY FINDS A HOME

Here's the story, how I know it. 

I work for King County Solid Waste as the dispatcher for the trucks.  On Thursday, March 7th, one of the drivers, Don, calls me to ask for the phone number of the gal that manages the stray cats up here at the landfill.  I told him she was downtown working today, and wasn't available.  He then told me about a stray cat at our Bowlake Transfer Station.  A gray cat had been brought to the Scalehouse by one of the contractors working there.  The contractor told the scale Operators the cat had come right up to him, meowing.  He was a very friendly cat.  The Scale Operator didn't want anything to do with him, though.  So, the contractor left the cat in the area and went back to work.  That was when Don came by in his tractor-trailer rig.  He stopped and went over to the cat, who was sitting on a wall.  The cat meowed very insistently. Don fed him some meatballs.  The cat was very appreciative - you see, the cat looked to be starving to death.  That's when Don  called me and asked me what I thought he should do.  I didn't like the idea of the cat hanging about the scalehouse, with all the traffic going in and out of there.  I told Don that when he got back I would have found a cardboard box and some food so he could catch the cat.  (I didn't realize at the time how friendly he was).

So Don came back to the landfill, dumped his load and headed back for another, armed with a box and cat food.

Don sent me this picture after he had picked up the cat on his return trip.  He said the cat wouldn't stay in the box.  Like I said, he was a very friendly, social and appreciative cat.

When he got back here, he handed me the cat and said he had named him Bentley.  He was the thinnest creature I have ever seen.  But, very mellow and very tired and very friendly and appreciative, and with a severe kink in his tail.

We fed him a little more, gave him some water, petted him, and started calling people looking for a home for him.

I thought I knew several people that had said they wanted a cat.  But, when it came right down to it, they all bowed out.  Word soon got around here at work, and one of the mechanics, Mike,  said he'd take him home.  He could live in his shop with his other cats.  Okay.

[I thought this was a shame, because he was such an inquisitive and social beast.  He should be purring in someone's lap, making them happy.]

Well, Mike took him home that night.  And life went on.

About a week later, I got a call from the night dispatcher at work.  Mike couldn't keep Bentley because his male cat didn't want Bentley around.  It wasn't going to work out.  Did I know anyone who wanted him?

I frantically started calling people again.  This was such a great cat, he deserved a good home, but no one wanted to take him.

I called my husband (he was out of town for the weekend).  Could we maybe take him?  He could live in the shop at our house.  What about our dog Lucy?  She hates cats.  She spends her days laying in wait for the neighborhood cats to come into the yard so she can chase them out.   He agreed it would be nice to have a cat in the shop.  We'd have to make it work.

I met with Mike on Saturday morning and he gave me possession of Bentley.  Having absolutely no 'cat supplies'  I immediately headed over to the PetsMart.  I had fun picking out bowls, a bed, a litter pan and had a lengthy discussion with one of the workers there about the kind of litter to use.  Then we discussed food.  My oh my.  What about treats or toys?  And, hey, this nice little cat-scratcher/perch would be perfect in front of the window, and it's on sale!  I practically filled up the back of my car with the $228 worth of 'stuff' we had to have.

Once home, I made a quick check of the shop to cat-proof it.  Blocked off the dog door to the outside and set Bentley free into his new home.  I showed him where the litter box was, the food and water was put out.  He immediately began to check the place out.

I didn't want to leave him alone, so I got to work on a quilt project I'd been putting off.  Bentley eventually came up and helped me as I pinned the quilt on the floor.

He found his bed by the window and seemed to settle right in.  I went in for the night and didn't mention him to Lucy.

I spent half of the day on Sunday up in my studio quilting on the recently pinned quilt.  Bentley split his time between eating, sleeping and exploring.  He seemed to be very content, but without a lot of energy.

He found the window above my cutting table where he could see out the other side of the studio from, so I cleared my junk off the sill for him.

This is my first cat.  I've always had a dog or two, I am definitely a dog-person.  I think my husband is more a cat-person.  So, hopefully, this will be his cat. 

I spent the weekend feeling good about giving Bentley a good home, and feeling guilty about leaving him in the shop alone (in the dark) and feeling guilty about spending time with him because then I was leaving Lucy shut out of the shop.  I'm a dog person (I don't trust cats).   Nothing personal, Bentley, I just don't know you well enough yet.  With a little luck, it will all work out for everyone.   Welcome home.

And Lucy still doesn't know he's here.

BENAROYA HALL INVADED BY 5TH GRADERS

I sketched while they fiddled

Darrell's granddaughter Victoria exclaimed the other week, that her class was going on a field trip to Benaroya Hall (home of Seattle Symphony) and they needed some parents to volunteer to be chaperons.  Would he like to volunteer?  Darrell said he would if he wasn't the only one.  Well, next day she says no other parents had offered...so I said I could take a day off and go (I love the symphony and Benaroya Hall).  

I can even remember going with my class in elementary school.  I thought it was such a thrill at the time.  (That was back in the olden days when the symphony played at a little hall on the Seattle Center grounds.)

After we returned the proper paperwork, with all the proper boxes checked, we were deemed acceptable and invited to join them.  Today was the day.  It turned out to be one of the nicest days in a long while, sun was out and it warmed up enough to leave the heavy coat at home and wear a light jacket.

The hardest thing about this was that we only knew one of the kids, Victoria and a couple of her friends by sight.  The rest we didn't know at all.  So, when we got off the bus where there were dozens of other buses, and everyone was filing into the hall, it was impossible for us to know which ones were which.  We just stayed in line and kept an eye on Victoria.

Victoria and her friend

Filling up

We sat in the 5th row

There was a big screen showing closeups of orchestra

We've been in this hall quite a lot of times.  Usually the audience is so quiet you can hear a pin drop...on stage... (really).  This time was totally different!  It was unbelievable loud.  The hall sits 2500 people and it was packed full with students from districts all over the county.  All in all though, they were a good audience, if somewhat fidgety.  They quieted down eventually.  Luckily the program was only about an hour.  There was an excellent celloist, 14 year old Jeremy Steele from Garfield High School.  They kids were impressed.  

We had a great time.  I don't think we were the best 'chaperons' they've had (we got separated from the group on the way back to the buses,  shhh, I don't think the teacher noticed).  They counted the kids on the bus and since there was one extra we closed the doors and headed home (at least we didn't lose anyone).

GAUGUIN AT SEATTLE ART MUSEUM





 My husband Darrell and I spent part of our anniversary, February 17th, at Seattle Art Museum viewing their exhibit "Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise" (February 9, 2012 thru April 29, 2012). 

Although Gauguin's Polynesia period is not our favorite of his, we enjoyed this show immensely.  It's always enjoyable to get close-up to such talent and beauty.  I spent a lot of time getting too close to the paintings and looking at his brush-strokes and the colors he chose.

Three Tahitians 1899



Beneath the Pandanu Tree 1891





Tahitian Mountains 1893




Landscape with Three Figures 1901

I stood and stared in awe at "Landscape with Three Figures", which was one of the paintings towards the last of the exhibit.  I marveled at the brush strokes.  I contemplated the sky for a long time.  I stood there with my mouth open, I'm sure.  I had to remark to Darrell that I had just spent a good deal of time yesterday finishing up the sky on one of my freeway paintings, trying to get it very evenly all-over blue with no brush strokes showing.  Gauguin's sky in this painting is a series of little brush strokes in every shade and hue.  The white and grey clouds on the right dissipate off into the blue-ness of the sky unlike the clearly defined ones towards the center.  I thought, why don't I do skies like this?  These are gorgeous!

I went home and looked at my freeway painting...wondering if I should redo it.  I decided the sky I painted for it, fit it.  It would not look right with an impressionistic sky in a sorta realistic painting.  I left it the way it was.  I guess I knew what I was doing after all.

Pare Paillard by Gauguin 1902

 Who knew Gauguin was such a talented carver?  The above statue was also one of our favorites because of the story behind it. "Pere Paillard" (Father Lechery or Debauchery) inscribed on its base.  It was recognizable as the local Catholic bishop, who demanded Gauguin stop his liaisons with the local women, while still pursuing them himself despite his vows of celibacy, and all while the church was engaged in wholesale destruction of the native culture.  Things never change!

Also included in this exhibit are a lot of the local art from the Islands, including a tiki that is said to embody all of the ancestors.  We were invited to greet it and speak to it.

There was another room dedicated to Gauguin's wood block prints, which I found fascinating.  I had no idea he had done any.  Apparently, he didn't do much with the prints after he had carved the blocks (he had planned a book about Polynesia, but it never materialized).  Gauguin's son later printed some of the blocks which are on display here.

Gauguin Woodblock print 1903

If you are in the Seattle area during this show, I encourage you to go see it.  You'll definitely enjoy it.
  We did.

THORVALD'S STORY

When I started thinking about an image for my annual Chinese New Year print exchange with BarenForum, my mind kept returning to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I read those books last year, saw the Swedish versions of the movies, and on Christmas my husband and I went to the theatre to see the new version on the 'big screen'.  I love the books and all of the movies (this latest version is fantastic!).  It's a very intriguing story with interesting characters,  and if you haven't already read the books I urge you to go get them now.

So, back to my Year of the Dragon print, I couldn't get the title "Dragon with the Girl Tattoo" out of my head.  So, I had to go with it.  

I struggled with the image, I was trying to make it like the theatre ads, where it shows the Girl in profile, with the dragon tattoo on her shoulder. 

When I did that way, the tattoo girl was too realistic or something, and didn't look quite right.  Plus, I couldn't figure out how to turn it into a print, it was beyond my skill level.

My original sketch

I was about to abandon the whole idea, when I had an epiphany while out walking in the deep woods of our local park.  The image of the girl (woman) from the mudflaps of trucks came into my mind.  It's a simple image, one I could duplicate in a print.  But I started thinking about why the dragon had that image tattooed onto his shoulder/wing and came up with his story.

THORVALD STARGAZER:  A DRAGON WITH A DREAM

As a youngster, Thorvald dreamed of one day being a long-haul trucker.  To travel the highways and byways, to be a King of the Road, to be in control of a 'big rig', that would be the ultimate in fun and adventure.

When he saw the TV reality show, Ice Road Truckers, Thorvald knew that was what he wanted.  He gave up everything to go to the great wilderness of Alaska. He begged for a chance to prove he could be an Ice Road Trucker. They doubted he could do it.  What would he do with his wings?  Could he drive all alone out on the ice? He talked and finagled and finally, he was given the chance.  He got behind the wheel, took control of the big rig and headed out onto the frozen lake.  The farther out he went the more nervous he became.  He found himself alone in the middle of a vast frozen wasteland and he was getting very cold and very lonely.  He panicked.

The sad fact is when dragons panic they usually react by burning up everything in sight.

Alas, that was poor Thorvald's mistake.  When he breathed flames in his cab and set it on fire, he immediately felt better and more at home.  He exited the truck to bask in the flames.  Pretty soon the entire rig was afire.

The ice beneath it began to melt.

The whole rig, truck and trailer, was burning up and melted through the ice and fell into the lake below.

Thorvald was embarrassed and ashamed.  He flew home in disgrace and was asked not to come back to the frozen north.

His time as a trucker is now but a memory, the Girl Tattoo his only memento.

The resilient Thorvald is now dreaming of his next great adventure.

DINNER AT JOE'S

The husband likes to celebrate when a job ships out.  We usually go to Endolyne Joe's.  It was very crowded and it was Happy Hour, so we ended up sitting in the bar for dinner.

Here's a little sketch I did while waiting and chatting about today's news stories.  The man at the end of the bar caught my eye because of the way he was sitting.  He was turned to his neighbor, sitting with his leg crossed, up on his knee.  As soon as I began sketching him, he took notice (I tried to look like I wasn't looking at him) but I think I made him uncomfortable and he changed position.  Dang.

Oh, we had meals off the special seasonal menu, this quarter featuring Argentina, and they were excellent!  Darrell had gnocchi in a creamy tomato sauce (he rolled his eyes with the first bite and savored every last bite of it), I had a very interesting tasting chicken breast and arugula salad.

FIRST DRAGON PRINT PULLED

"The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo"

image size 4" by 6" on 5" by 7" paper

two woodblocks using Akua inks and watercolors

There's even a story that goes with this...

but I haven't actually written it, yet.

Stay tuned.

BLOCK TWO OF DRAGON PRINT

I carved the second block for my Year of the Dragon Print, the color block.  You can see where this block had been painted white, and then I had transferred the key block onto it yesterday.

I mixed up a green from my Akua inks and printed up a few.  It wasn't covering very well, there were spots and dips and icky stuff.  I tried a few things then decided I better sand the white paint off the block.  I went downstairs into Darrell's woodshop and sanded it there so I would minimize the sawdust in my ink!

Here is the bunch of prints I did, trying different things and different colors.  I can't tell which prints I did before I sanded and which were after.  I don't think it made a big difference, other than getting rid of the few bumps that were on there.  

I know what I did wrong though...I tried really hard to keep my sanding block even across the face, but I still managed to get the corners a little lower than the rest of the block.  So, when I print I have to give extra attention to the edges and corners.

I only printed about 16 on the good paper, and of those I painted the eyes gold and put some red in the nostril and the mouth, which will be covered by the black, but I think a little of the red will show through.

I didn't want to get too far ahead  - I still need to make sure I'm on the right track before I print them all.  Next time I will print the key block over what I've done so far to make sure everything is turning out like I want.

Besides, I ran out of gas.

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.