East Hardwick

August 2006

Copy, Whiteout, and Pen

10"x8"

This is the working cartoon for the next chiaroscuro print that I plan to make. I have worked on it for a while now and it is just starting to feel right. The sky still needs some work but it is almost at the point when I will feel comfortable putting it on a block to carve.

Destiny Bay II

August 24, 2006

Charcoal Pencil

4"x6"

I went for a hike in Cutler Maine on the last day of my vacation on a nature trail along Destiny Bay. It was a splendid afternoon and this sketch will make for a nice monotype I think.

Destiny Bay I

August 23, 2006

Watercolor

3.25"x4.75"

Distant fog horn sounds. Fishing boats chug out to sea. Seaweed laps against the rocks and my eyes catch the light of a beautiful morning.

Sketching Tunk Mountain

August 22, 2006

Charcoal Pencil

3.5"x5.75"

Notes: Sketching Tunk Mountain, my kayak bobbed around wildly on the lake changing my view. Three patches of bald rock mirror the puffy white clouds. Deep shadows from the noon sun on the close trees create deep contrast between the water, near trees, distant shore, hills behind, and finally Tunk Mountain. There is enough here for a monotype.

View from Camp

August 22, 2006

Watercolor and Pen

3"x4.25"

Note to Self: never try to make a painting with the kids around. At least till they are older as they just wanted to help but made it difficult to work.

Morning

The pink clouds of morning drift lazily behind the hills. While the warm morning breeze roughens the still water and slowly clears the sky.

Twilight

August 19, 2006

Charcoal Pencil

3.75"x5.5"

Twilight

Waves softly lapping, upon the rocks of little Machias Bay. The light fades as the color softens the view and lightens my thoughts.

Sunset

August 16, 2006

2 Plate Solar Etching

4.75"x6.75"

I pulled six decent proofs last night from this plate and hope to pull a run of at least twelve for a small artists edition. Using two plates is a bit time consuming but I was having a blast as the registration process worked very well.

This image comes from a monotype and I enjoy the large areas of black but it is hard to wipe and I think I would be better off if I use a charcoal drawing instead. Then use the two-plate process to bring some color into these simple little prints with the miracle of Photoshop.

Bend in the River

August 16, 2006

Solar Plate Etching

7"x5"

This print is an experiment of sorts as I try to find the right way of working with the solar plate etching process to best reflect my artistic goals. I scanned this watercolor and ink drawing as a grayscale image and then printed it on a transparency to burn onto the plate. It came out pretty well but I am unsure if I will continue with this method of making a plate and may need to make a few more proofs to be sure.

Barr Hill, Version 2

August 7, 2006

Watercolor and Pen

3.5"x4.75"

This drawing is starting to get to a place that I want to be with this work. It is almost like I have a destination that I can see but it will take a bit of travel to get there. I am a little frustrated with the scans as the subtlety of the watercolor does not always translate well in photoshop.

Martin Manor

August 7, 2006
Sharpie
6"x3.5"

This is one of two drawings that I made for my supervisor in the Admissions office at Goddard College. She asked if I would help design an invitation to a "Garden Party" for prospective students and I agreed. The first drawing was of the Clockhouse and is not very good, but this one came out okay for something that my heart was not really invested in.

Barr Hill

August 6, 2006

Watercolor

3.5"x4.75"

Barr Hill

Coming down off of Barr Hill

I realized how lucky I am.

A lucky man who can go for a hike

To sketch and look and call it homework.

When a four-year old wants daddy to stay.

And play on a Sunday morning.

Summer Heat, Version 2

July 31, 2006

Watercolor and Ink

4.74"x3.5"

The ink really makes the color pop and puts a certain finish on the drawing that I like.

If anyone out there reads this and cares to comment on the two different versions I would love some feedback on the two versions of Summer Heat. Thanks.

Summer Heat, Version 1

July 30, 2006
Watercolor
4.75"x3.5"

It was really hot when I went out to make this little sketch in the fields behind Goddard College. Considering it is only the second watercolor painting I have done in almost a decade it came out okay. I am still torn about wanting to draw over these painting with ink but at least with modern technology I can scan the original before I work back into it and save a record of the process.

Sunset

July 19, 2006

Two-plate Solarplate Etching

4.75"x6.75"

Here is pretty decent pull from the two plates and I could not be happier. I think I will try to print a small edition of six but try to keep the color a little more like the first proof.

Sunset

July 19, 2006

Two-plate Solarplate Etching

4.75"x6.75"

When I was trimming the scan for the monotype I had an interesting thought and hit the "mirror image" button in Photoshop. Then I had a perfect black "positive" of the negative space. Next I burned both images onto solarplates with the sun and decided to tart making two-plate etching with a key-block and a color block.

This is the very first proof and you can see I had some registration problems. They are partly because I was using a paper with a deckled edge and will have a ruled edge for easier registration next time around.

Sunset

July 19, 2006

Solarplate Etching

4.75"x6.75"

This is the first time I have burnt an image from one of my monotypes onto a solarplate and I am pretty excited. It does not show up well on the blog but it was a challenge to wipe the plate.