Outperforming Dog

Dermott holds the fort

Have you ever wondered what it's like to live with an outperforming dog? Performing dogs I can relate to. It's simple - they do tricks for treats. An outperforming dog takes your ego by the scruff of the neck and drags it off to the old bones heap.

What is all this about?, you might ask. It's about the annual Making a Mark Awards (MAMA), that's what!

Making a Mark is an exceptionally popular blog about art. Each year at this time its creator, Katherine Tyrrell makes a number of well deserved awards to people who blog about art. However, for the past two years Katherine has recognised our dog and his blog. In 2007 it was two awards - the TALES FROM THE FRONTLINE MENTION IN DESPATCHES and THE AMUSING MUSINGS TROPHY. This year - he gets a Special Mention in THE MOOSE AWARD for the Best Animal in an Illustrated Blog.

Dermott is occasionally featured in my art:

But have you ever seen Dermott produce art? I thought not! This dog doesn't have anything to do with art. This dog thinks a painting is good 'if the eyes follow you around the room!'

So, I come to that time of year when I have to review my artistic goals set twelve months ago:

My Goals for 2008

1. Learn to make more use of Photoshop & Illustrator. FAILED.

2. Study Italian EVERY day. FAILED

3. Sell a painting (and I don't mean to a friend). FAILED

4. Come to grips with oil painting and become faster and more confident. FAILED

5. Paint more Watercolour and pen & ink sketches en plein air. FAILED

6. Share more of our life in Tuscany through my blog. FAILED

7. Achieve a quick sketch every day. FAILED

8. Be more risky and playful. WELL... this one wasn't a top priority after all.

Now do you see what I mean about being outperformed by a dog?!

I'm currently compiling My Goals for 2009:

1. BEAT THE DOG (and I don't mean outperform!)


AND A VERY, VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.

Suicide Printing!

Linocut reduction relief print 11.5cm x 11.5cm

Inspired by Sherrie Y of Brush and Baren I've produced my first (very) limited edition, three colour reduction linoprint. I've heard this method referred to as 'Suicide Printing' and I certainly understand why.

Sherrie very generously posted instructions for making a paper registration jig on her blog. Armed with Sherrie's instruction HWEM set off to Obi for some bits and pieces in order to prove that he isn't just a great cook. The bits and pieces included a new saw, a new screwdriver, a mini plane and many other essential tools and pieces of timber! But he did it!

Print station with registration jig

Since I'm using oil based printing inks, I've set everything up on a little desk under a window. Surprising this really doesn't have to be a messy job.

Once I'd cut my lino block I soaked some sheets of printmaking paper in water for 10 minutes. I inked the block with the first colour and then rolled out the first piece of paper between sheets of blotting paper.

You can use a rolling pin to press the surplus water out of the paper but I think a good bottle of wine is essential because a lot can go wrong in suicide printing.

Our salad spoon has found a new role in life. A piece of tracing paper on top of the damp paper stops the baren (right) or spoon catching and moving the paper.

First colour - Sanguine, I didn't like it as much as the yellow so I only made two prints.

While waiting for the ink to dry I started cutting away all the bits of the plate where I wanted the print to remain yellow - or yellow plus the second colour. Only 12 prints, I wasn't very confident about carving this complicated (for me) design and didn't want to waste too much paper.

Second colour stage and the registration is good so far (thanks Sherrie!).

Next I cut out the iris of the eyes and all the sunrise type background ready for the final colour - black. The finished print is what you see at the top of this post.

This worked out rather better than I anticipated and of course I was sorry I hadn't made more, particularly since the registration was out in two of the finals and I smudged another. That's why it's 'suicide printing' - there's no going back to print more of the earlier colours.

I realised quite late in the carving process that I could make a quick proof of my progress by placing a piece of typing paper over the lino and rubbing it with a graphite stick. I guess I'm not the first to think of that.

Finally I was left with my oriental looking cat so I experimented with a chine colle of rice paper and tissue and called it Striped Cat.

Editor's Note: Just remembered where I picked up the term 'suicide printing'. It was from the blog of the British artist, Ian Phillips. He has a wonderful description of the process on his blog here. Treat yourself and see some wonderful work.

Phew.... for a moment I thought

I noticed Jeanette at Illustrated Life had played the game What Card are You? and posted the results on her blog. There was a bit of finger wagging at the end of the profile on Jeanette's card about things I quite like to do. So I didn't think I really wanted to know What Card I Am. I've always been a bit spooked by fortune telling but then I also have insatiable curiosity, so of course I had to go to Vivien's blog Painting Prints & Stuff and click on the link.

I did hesitate over the question 'Do you like to drink or smoke?' Well, I don't smoke! Anyway my mother always taught me to tell the truth. So I wasn't optimistic about what my card might be.

You are the World

Completion, Good Reward.

The World is the final card of the Major Arcana, and as such represents saturnian energies, time, and completion.

The World card pictures a dancer in a Yoni (sometimes made of laurel leaves). The Yoni symbolizes the great Mother, the cervix through which everything is born, and also the doorway to the next life after death. It is indicative of a complete circle. Everything is finally coming together, successfully and at last. You will get that Ph.D. you've been working for years to complete, graduate at long last, marry after a long engagement, or finish that huge project. This card is not for little ends, but for big ones, important ones, ones that come with well earned cheers and acknowledgements. Your hard work, knowledge, wisdom, patience, etc, will absolutely pay-off; you've done everything right.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Venice Etching

Bird Woman of Venice - Etching & Aquatint 24cm x 24cm

limited edition prints for sale

This is my first attempt at a copper plate etching with aquatint.

The picture is based on my own photograph of a woman shooing birds from her balcony, high above a Venetian canal. At first I thought how sweet, she's feeding the pigeons but when I enlarged the photograph I realised I'd probably witnessed a daily battle between this woman and the birds who squat on her tiny balcony. What struck me about the picture was how much the old lady's arm was beginning to resemble the wing bone of a bird - almost as though she was going through a metamorphosis that would one day see her too fly away.

Here's how I went about making the print.

Burning lamp black on to the varnished copper plate

I believe you can simply use a dark tinted varnish for this first stage of etching but loved learning the traditional smoking technique demonstrated here by my printmaker teacher, Rick Woodbury. Once the thick layer of lamp black is wiped away the copper plate has a hard dark ground into which I scratched my drawing.

Copper Plate before etching in an acid bath

The bird in front of the old lady's arm got in the way of the focal point of the drawing so Rick showed me how to use block out varnish to stop that area being etched by the acid.

The process of inking the plate is time consuming and pretty messy so I was covered in ink by the time I finished and I wasn't able to take photographs. Currently each print I make takes me about half an hour of inking and wiping the hot plate.

First Proof

In order to bring some darker values into the plate, and after using more block out varnish to preserve the highlights, Rick showed me how to dust it with powdered Gum Arabic. The plate was then heated to melt the Gum Arabic on to the copper and then it was back into the acid bath. I got quite a shock when we fished it out to see what a dramatic change I had in the second proof.

Second Proof after Aquatint

Now the hard work started, as I had to scrape or burnish back the aquatint pitted areas to make softer transitions between light and dark values.

Third Proof

That's more what I was aiming for and I can't tell you the thrill of pulling back the paper after the plate had passed through the press. I had no idea what it was going to look like. I don't think I will ever get over that excitement no matter how many prints I may make in future. I scraped and burnished a few more refinements and then pulled the final print that you see at the top of this post.

The print is too large for my scanner, so I've had to photograph it for this post. When I get some more sunlight I will replace this with a clearer photograph which I will have signed and numbered correctly.

I've never offered any of my art for sale before but since my plan for 2008 was to finally sell something here's your opportunity to acquire a rare piece of art! You are welcome to email me for further details.

Awarded to this post by The Colorist - Many thanks Casey.

Playing fast and loose again....

Watercolour & Ink - Canson sketchbook

Trapped inside most days lately by an unusually wet, grey autumn in Tuscany, I have been dreaming of Spring and the opportunity to get out sketching again. Of course I then have to admit I never get around to that much plein air sketching. It's because I am too slow. So the exercise I have set myself is to do some fast and loose sketches from the huge library of photographs I take (when I really should be sketching).

These are both from my computer screen using my Mont Blanc pen with Pelican Brillian Brown ink which I love because it's not in the least bit waterproof and bleeds happily all over the place when I add watercolour.

I took my sketching material on a trip to Perugia in Umbria yesterday. Didn't sketch a thing because we stumbled upon From Corot to Picasso - a magical exhibition from the vast Phillips Collection (Washington).

Vincent was there with House at Auvers; Modigliani with his beautiful Elena Povolozky; Cezanne Still Life with Ginger Jar, pears and Pomegranate; Picasso Woman with a Green Hat. Some days are absolutely perfect!

Remember when AmEx stood for Service?

What you sketch when you are hanging off the phone trying to cancel a card

I've been sobbing with frustration. Two years ago I decided two AmEx cards was excessive and being a much more conservative soul these days decided I was sick of paying fees for a credit card I never use. After a mind numbing hunt on the internet for a contact number to cancel a card I eventually fought my way past the computer generated voices and got a real human being. I sobbed with relief and said 'I'd like to cancel one of my AmEx cards because I never use it.' The nice human being was very disappointed in me and said that the company would prefer to offer me a fee-free year on the card. You never know when you might need the line of credit. I accepted and forgot about it. Two years later the next annual fee for the card was automatically deducted from my bank account. I still had not used the card.

I have since spent another mind numbing hunt on the internet to find a contact number to cancel the card. I've managed to have two conversations with a human being. The first told me they could not accept my cancellation from overseas via a Skype phone call. I would need to call American Express in Australia reverse charges. I couldn't find the Italian phone number to request a reverse charge call - you know how it is when you'd rather be painting.

I eventually made my way through the electronic maze again to another human being - still paying for an international phone call, still waiting on forever for human service. Unfortunately it was Saturday in Australia and the people who have the power to cancel cards do not work on Saturday. I was given a number which I was told was the reverse charge number and told to call back on a week day. I missed a few week day opportunities - you know how it is when you'd rather be painting.

Finally I lined up all the documentation on my desk and dialed the number. I was greeted by a kind electronic voice which lead me through many button pressing options - one of which, blessedly mentioned cancelling a card. As requested I keyed in my 15 digit account number and was told to wait until my account was retrieved - at this point I started sketching the handsome Roman on my credit card. Finally I was told to hang on and I would be connected to an operator. After a few clicks the line started making that ominous beep that sounds like you've been cut off. Then the line sounded live, almost as thought there could be a human being there. I called out for help. The ominous beep returned. This happened several times. At no point did anyone reassure me that I could relax because this was a reverse charge call. After 13 minutes I decided to hang up. I didn't want to have to use my American Express credit card to pay my Italian phone account.

Are you out there American Express? I love my original card - the one I pay the total balance of at the end of every month. I don't use it much these days but it gives me a nice warm feeling and the frequent flyer points are nice to have. What do I do next?!