A while back I created a pile of gelatin prints. I was just playing with and learning the process. So now I had yet another stack of pages of things with no specific purpose. I decided I would use them as backgrounds for drawings.
I used a bamboo skewer to scratch the branches into the paper. Then I drew back into the pages with colored pencil.
Barbara and Kathryn exploring gelatin printing
Gelatin printing is a method where you use a sheet of thick gelatin as a printing plate to make a one of a kind print. I’d never done it before, so I corralled my art buddy Barbara who had tried it to show me and Kathryn how to do it.
I had no particular goal other than wanting to see how it worked. There are a number of ways to create a monoprint. The advantage of many of them is you work quickly and never know exactly what you are going to get. I like some of the spontaneous things that occur that can then inspire other things later.
I had been doing intricate detailed drawings. I really enjoy doing that kind of work, but if I do too much of it I start to get tight. Not just phyically from leaning over the page, but visually too. My work can start to feel static and lifeless. A medium that forces me to loosen up really helps get some life back into my work.
The plate is made by making a thick batch of Knox Gelatin. You pour it into some kind of shallow mold and let it set. In our case, Barbara showed up with the plates all ready to go.
A gelatin printing plate
This is a cookie sheet with a piece of glass on top of it. On top of the glass are two pieces of gelatin about 1/2″ thick. The gelatin and glass are then wrapped together with plastic wrap.
There is something almost alive feeling about the plates. Not as wiggly as a piece of jello, but it has give to the surface. They are kept wrapped and refrigerated until you are ready to use them.
You can use a variety of different kinds of paints. We used Speedball inks which are made for block printing. The ink was rolled out on a piece of glass to get the brayer evenly coated.
The ink was rolled over the gelatin plate.
We make marks on the plate, either by carefully laying something on it or dragging something across it.
A piece of paper was laid on top, and we rubbed over the back of it with our hands.
We got a wide variety of effects playing with different colors and textures. It was fast and furious. We also played with a variety of paper types.
We now each have a variety of different textures on our paper. I am drawing back into mine. I’ll show you soon what I am coming up with.
The studio sale on April 7, 2013 was lovely. There were a steady stream of visitors and a number of pieces found new homes.
I enjoyed the informality of the day. There was time for conversations. People handled the work, moved it around, tried on mats and frames. I felt relaxed in a way I don’t at gallery openings.
Lovely thought. I like showing work in a relaxed atmosphere. I enjoy having conversations, about art or about more general topics. I want people to feel comfortable, not wondering what they should say or do. I’m determined to make my art available for sale in new ways. Ways everyone can enjoy. Hasn’t always been like that in the past.
How do you enjoy seeing what an artist is up to? Do you like browsing online or seeing work in real life? What makes it comfortable? Or perhaps more important, what makes it uncomfortable for you (as an artist or a viewer?)
As I have prepared for the studio sale, I have continued to find more work. With such an abundance, I have decided to make select works available for $100 apiece. These are 9″ x 12″ paintings and drawings. They are in plastic sleeves to protect them while they are handled at the show.
Here is just a small selection of the types of work included. There are 120 to choose from.
These are available at the studio sale April 7, 2013. I will be working on making them available online soon.
This is a series of watercolor painting that I drew back into with colored pencil. I found the inspiration on Maui, the pods and shells have such beautiful shapes. The first four are 11″ x 14″, the bottom two are 8 1/2″ x 11″.
These works will be available at my studio sale on April 7, 2013.
These images are created digitally from a combination of photographs and electronic painting. There are glicee prints of them which will be included in the April 7, 2013 studio sale.
These are digital prints of a series of mixed media collages. This was the art for my first deck of inspirational cards. Before Visualsspeak. I made the card decks by hand for a few of my friends. The art and prints are 11″ x 14″.
The prints will be available at the April 7, 2013 studio sale.
These images were painted on a digital tablet in a program called Painter. These are giclee prints, which are a high quality digtial print on art paper. These are artist’s proofs, which for a digital image are as close as you get to originals.
These will shown at the April 7, 2013 studio sale.
Holding Aligned Choices
Here are the answers to some of the questions I’ve been getting about the studio sale.
In theory, however my studio is big enough for me, the cats and two other people assuming only one of them wants to sit down. Instead Luna Jaffe has offered her lovely office in Multnomah Village. She has more space, and it’s in Portland.
Sunday April 7, 2013
Drop in anytime 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
At the offices of:
Luna Jaffe International
7837 SW Capitol Hwy Suite C
Portland, OR 97219
This will be less formal. Instead of having all the art framed and on the wall, much of it will be in plastic sleeves so you can touch it. Move it around. See it in varied light. Some of it will be matted, a few things framed. You’ll see pieces from different series and times. In a variety of media, as well as different types of prints.
Absolutely not. Art will be for sale, but there will be no pressure or expectation that anyone has to buy.
Yes, of course. You are encouraged to.
I’ll be at Luna’s office the whole time just talking to people about my art (or anything else you come up with.) You can take a close look at the work. Find out how it’s done.
I’ve been focused on creating VisualsSpeak for the last decade, so I haven’t been showing my original work. This will be the first time I’ve shown most of this work. I’ve been working steadily, especially the past three years, so I have quite a few pieces.
Honestly, I had no idea how much I had until I started pulling things out for this event. I have hundreds of originals. They look different in real life than they do on screen. I also have several different kinds of affordable prints.
Probably. I’ll have prints starting at $25. The most expensive paintings will be $350. Most will be less, many only $100. I’m not currently under contract with a gallery, so I can keep the prices affordable for now. This is one of the reasons I like the informal settings. It keeps my costs down, and I can pass that along to my customers.
After the sale, I will begin to make the original work available online. In the meantime, if you see something you just love drop me an email (info @ visualsspeak.com) and I’ll give you the info about it.
Stay tuned, I’m going to start posting pictures of some of the work that will be at the sale here and on Facebook.
I haven’t sold original artwork in a decade. That means I have hundreds of pieces of work. It’s now time to release them to the world, or to at least start showing them in new ways.
Sunday April 7, 2013
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
At the offices of:
Luna Jaffe International
7837 SW Capitol Hwy Suite C
Portland, OR 97219
This is above the Umpqua Bank across from Annie Boom Bookstore
I want my art to be accessible on several levels. First I am committed to making it available in a wide range of formats and price points. Second I want to make seeing it easy. I want to get beyond just showing on the gallery walls, and be able to see art around us in more informal ways.
You are encouraged to bring friends and family to this event. I know viewing someone’s art can be fraught with all sorts of different emotions. I’m hoping I can find a way to show you this part of me in a way that doesn’t stress any of us out. I’m not going to mat and frame all the work. I may have some of it in piles on the table.
I want it to be fun for all of us.
As I prepare, I’ll be posting photos of what will be at the studio sale here on the blog and on Facebook.