Rounded back clam shell box to house journals
Rounded back clam shell box to house journals
Rounded back clam shell box to house journals
Rounded back clam shell box to house journals
New Box
April 11th, 2009Achnatherum robustum
March 10th, 2009I picked up my drawing a few days ago. I was very pleased to see the other illustrations which will be included in the Denver Botanic Garden’s Index Seminum. I was fortunate to come across an actual specimen at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Quite a handsome grass, native to the Colorado plains.
Drawing Published!
February 25th, 2009Received nice news from Denver Botanic Gardens - my drawing ‘Achnatherum robustum’ will be included in their publication Index Seminum. I started the drawing during the seed and microscopy class. A few weeks and many hours later it was finished. I’ll pick up the drawing today and post a picture soon.
Root Leaf Flower & Seed
February 19th, 2009Finished Root Leaf Flower & Seed over the weekend, here’s the pic of the binding. Paste paper made by myself.
Root Leaf Flower & Seed
Proof of Spring
February 17th, 2009I stayed home from work today - slept poorly last night and I feel a cold coming on. Today is quite a bit warmer that it has been. It seems like it’s been a long cold dreary February. I found traces of spring but had to look hard for a few of them.
Rudbeckia of some kind
Tulip sp.
Sedum
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Root, Leaf, Flower & Seed
February 15th, 2009“From root to leaf and flower to seed,
may all that we have be all that we need.”
So goes my favorite Pagan chant. I believe it’s from a book on Yule, but I could be mistaken. I was inspired to make a series of drawings of roots, leafs, flowers and seeds. I’d been working on it all summer (’o8) and finally finished it.
Here are pics of the drawings and picture of the book will appear shortly. The binding is a drum leaf binding, invented and refined by Tim Ely - a marvelous, simple and adaptable technique which allows the facing pages to open flat.
Resurrecting Sparkly Rock
February 11th, 2009Haven’t posted for quite some time. Have been busy with botanical illustration classes at Denver Botanic Gardens and drawing classes at Art Student League of Denver . I’ve had break since about November and classes resume next week.
I’ve wanted to make some changes for a long time now - combine the old sparklyrock.com and this blog. It’ll be easier than I thought. I’ll be moving the blog here at Wordpress to a hosted site (running Wordpress) and use the old Sparkly Rock site as the template. The new site will be the blog as well as gallery for my books, boxes, drawings and prints. The title will change also to Sparkly Rock Press and Bindery.
More about the press in the near future.
First Prints from New Press
February 1st, 2009Here are a few prints from collagraph plates, signed and numbered. I tossed the first 6 prints - haven’t mastered the skill of consistent inking and wiping. So many variables, pressure, paper, soaking time, etc. There is as much skill required in printing as there is in making the plate.
Oak Ladder, collagraph, 1/4, 2009
Itane Est, 1/3 collagraph, 2009, collagraph
Undergrowth Moon, 2009 collagraph
New Etching Presses
January 20th, 2009What a relief to finally have them here and assembled! Mary and I had been working with (struggling with) a machinist to make the parts since September 08. We purchased the plans online and finally found a skilled and accomodating machinist/engineer who made the parts. By doing so we were able to save about $1500 per press (we each got one).
The rollers are 14 inches (plans specified 12 inches). They are extremely solid and capable of providing more than enough pressure for any printing technique.
Now, we learn how to use them - how exciting. I’ve made a few prints from collagraph plates so far, just exploring the technique. Mary and I will be taking a printmaking class at the Art Student League of Denver in a few months. Until then I’m going to explore collagraphs.
The pile o’ etching press parts
The other pile o’ etching press parts
Finished etching press!
Mary with her new 100 lb. toy
Cameron lording over both presses
Nautilus Book
January 18th, 2009I recently came across these pics of a wedding album I did in 2004. Good friends were were married on the Oregon beach and wanted a wedding album which somehow incorporated a nautilus. I went a bit further and made the entire book in the form of a nautilus. Friends and guests wrote their wishes for the couple on the pages within.
The book was wonderful to handle - slinky and serpentine.
Nautilus book closed
Nautilus book closed
Nautilus book open