Yesterday in the studio I worked a new soft ground, and also decided to try some spit-bite aquatint on an older plate. I'd already editioned this etching (A cottage under snow) in its second state (10 prints), and was feeling adventurous. Not only have I finally got a feel for the process of aquatint, but… Continue reading subtle, but it makes all the difference
I have been checking out some of the 3-minute egg talks on the Magical Secrets printmaking web site. There's one called "Taking Time" (it's in two parts), and it makes a really important yet easily forgotten or overlooked point. To paraphrase: The amount of time actually spent making a work of art isn’t so important;… Continue reading ‘A commitment of full attention’
This is a fascinating talk/slide show about art in contemporary western society, from a talk given by artist Scott Burdick. While he is obviously quite as slanted 'modern' art as the contemporary art world is against traditional works, many interesting points are made, and his arguments regarding the suppression of beauty are convincing; we've all… Continue reading “The Banishment of Beauty”
A reiteration of a bit from an entry made some years ago: My dreams are bound together with waxed sail thread, glue stick and cello tape. The faint image above is a test I worked with silverpoint last night. I'd have done more but my makeshift silverpoint stylus was very poor indeed, involving a length… Continue reading silverpoint
"Bywater umbrella"*, soft ground etching. click to see large "Along a path", line etching and aquatint. click to see large. I went in to the studio yesterday afternoon for about five hours or so. Pure joy. Worked the two plates above, which have been in progress (and already documented here, so I won't go into… Continue reading April begins in the etching studio
The drawing on paper for a soft ground etching; it's Ben in New Orleans. I'm having trouble escaping my dreams. It's as if all the unremembered or missed visitations are making up for lost time these days, arriving one upon the other, ceaselessly. It's a haunting, an undertow from which I feel I can barely… Continue reading An undertow and soft ground
Here is my first proof from the etching press of the plate I worked on Friday. Looks good. I want to burnish the lines of the stones in the house to lighten them up- just give more of the 'overexposed' feeling which came through very well in the leaves on that side. Also I stopped… Continue reading Still waxing gibbous
the copper plate, in process of being scribed (hard ground applied) digital proof made by scanning, inversing and adjusting contrast of copper plate An eight hour day in the home studio, spent scribing the hard ground. Below are more scans in-progress; this is how I get an idea of what the line work I've done… Continue reading New line etching in progress
Man about a horse, graphite and oil on wood panel This is coming along alright, and should be completed in one more session. Here was the previous incarnation, graphite only...
Proofs of the two portraits, line-etched only. (Lady looks to have a mustache– must burnish those lines down!) Yes, you read that correctly: spit-bite. Contrary to what Wiki says, we are learning the old-school method, so it is what it sounds like– a way of "biting" the plate with acid that involves actual salivary effluvium–… Continue reading Line etching with spit-bite
e daggar art: THE MUSEUM 