“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.
Petroselinum crispum, graphite on bristol
Asclepia speciosa, graphite on bristol
Campsis radican ‘Flava’, graphite on bristol
Parthenocissus quinquefolia ‘Virginia Creeper’, graphite on bristol
Cornus sericea ‘Red Osier Dogwood’, graphite on bristol
Root, Leaf, Flower & Seed
February 15th, 2009
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
More Faces
May 10th, 2008
Contemplative Guy, Purple Bear
April 23rd, 2008Adventures with Payne’s gray. More later. On our way to OK City for M’s marathon. A few more faces toward my goal of 100
Liza, Mostly
April 20th, 2008Another face study, I’m pleased this is recognizable as Liza Minelli. Again, the scanner washed out the lighter tones and I wasn’t able to bring them back in Photoshop. Might have to read the scanner documentation (aaaargh).
Scanned Liza. No amount of Photoshop manipulation would bring back the light tones lost in the scanning process.
Photo’d Liza with a Nikon Coolpix 990. I used sepia watercolor for this and had to tweak the color in both images.
Hmm, not sure what to do about this discrapancy. I love the scanner/copier/printer – HP Photosmart 3210. Maybe I can create a macro or an automated process in PS which can correct the both scanned images and digital images.
Snowy Day, Van Dyke Brown
April 16th, 2008A late spring storm paralyzed Denver not with snow but with stupid drivers. I swung by the art store on the way home and that short delay added about an hour to my trip back home. I picked up a tube of Van Dyke brown and gave it a test drive on this 20 minute face study. Gonna turn in early – feel a spring cold coming on. In a future post I’ll share what I learn about the history of Van Dyke brown…
Book of Helleborus niger – Bound!
April 13th, 2008My BFF and I bound our books on Saturday using a very durable and simple binding often used in children’s books. We discovered that ’simple’ does not mean that much precision is not needed. When I use this binding technique again I’ll know to make a little adjustment which will allow the book to open lay flat.
Overall, this turned out well!