North Country Factory

April 24, 2008

Chiaroscuro print

8"x10"

Finished a small edition of this print and have already started to assemble four of the prints into a hanging scroll. The color for this one is lighter than the proof with less ochre. I wanted the 'yellow' to be closer to that acid green color you get in spring when the first buds open up.

Power Lines

April 26, 2008

Charcoal pencil

4.5"x6"

Was at the in-laws in MA for a long weekend and managed to sneak out and find a new set of views within walking distance of their house. Made this nice sketch and wrote a little poem before the bugs swarmed me to distraction.

Hiked up along some power lines,

across a raped and tortured land.

Found a view of Mt. Monadnock.

Forever sitting still as perfect as it ever could

Not in a wasteland,

but a suburban paradise.

Spring

April 23, 2008

Charcoal pencil

5"x6"

Spring

Second chance

for Spruce Mountain.

Standing,

in a lonely hay field.

Prints and Poetry Book Cover

April 22, 2008

Letterpress Book

7"x9"

This is a look at the prototype art book I made with a group of workshop participants at Studio Place ARts in Barre, Vermont.

Meditation Scroll, No. 3

April 2008
Hanging scroll with four chiaroscuro blockprints
41"x19"

This is the one. After some trial and error I have created a satisfying hanging scroll. I semi-quilted a backing sheet of rice paper to the frontispiece to strengthen the object and hung it on two 3/4" clear plexi-rods. To finish the piece I braided three pieces of hemp string for the cord the scroll hangs from. After hours of repetitive work I felt like I was in a zen state of meditation or prayer and feel that the meditation of this work is what the piece is about as much as anything. Thus the birth of the name for this series of hanging scrolls and there will be more as I bought a small supply of Plexiglas rods and have enough for three more projects.

Spring

April 20, 2008

Charcoal pencil

8"x6"

Spring

Spied this spot last winter

frozen swamp

for a brief moment is now a stream

Letterpress Proof

April 18, 2008

Letterpress Proof

7"x7"

This is a proof of my latest block and poem that goes with the image. Included is the page number used for the small art book I made using this image/poem with seven other artists.

Beaver Meadow Cartoon

April 16, 2008

Copy and Hi-Lighter

3"x4"

This is a rough cartoon for the color block for this print. Should be another quick carve but the edition will have to wait as I have yet to print the North Country Factory edition and need to get to that first. One project at a time...

Beaver Meadow Proof

April 12, 2008

Linoleum Block print

3"x4"

I started carving this block last Thursday the 10th of April and powered through the carving process. Saturday I ran a workshop called Prints and Poetry and pulled short poems on my Line-O-Scribe sign machine. Not only was it great to get the carving done so quickly but it was a great block to use as an example of how to use my press.

Clay Hill Proof

April 6, 2008

Two plate linoleum print

4'x6"

This is the first time I have used my Line-O-Scribe sign machine to pull a multiple plate print. These two blocks worked very well together, but when I tried to pull the B&W key block over these the ink blended and was not satisfactory. So I will wait for the edition to dry and pull the key block over them in a few days. Overall, I am excited as the crispness of the print with these two plates is fantastic. Much improved over hand pulling them and the speed of printing was easily doubled or better.