Happy July!

So! Though summer is formally introduced to us on the 21st of June, Reno has been casually calling upon her since April. Within the few days since our official meeting things have escalated quickly here regarding temperature. Going from an expected, even comfortable, 80-90 degree average to triple digits for five days running has been exhausting.

Really I'm trying to find excuses for not being outside more. When it's 105 Fahrenheit outside the weather is a willing scapegoat for my lack of motivation to seek out the world at large. That means, however, I have fewer reasons to put off more sedentary pursuits, namely art.

In an attempt to get myself on the right, read: galvanized, path I've been going through my portfolio and deducing which works I'd like to develop and which I'd like to leave behind, at least for the moment. My work has always been a bit of this and a bit of that from inspiration through execution. It's highly likely such an approach will always characterize my art, but for now it's making me think on new projects! I've only printed a couple things so far this year, and said year is nearly half over!
In the mean time, I hope you enjoy this new image.

Stage 2 of 4 in Her Name is December

"Suicide Cut", also know as a reduction cut, has been one of the most fun and interesting techniques I've learned over the years. There may be more coming. In any case, this is the second stage of Her Name is December. Perhaps a demonstration is in order? Eternal thanks to Bob Blesse of the Black Rock Press for allowing me to occasionally loiter about in his beautiful studio.

Rob Borges NMA Binding Class

This spring I attended a hard-cover book binding workshop at the Nevada Museum of Art taught by Rob Borges, a Mills College grad who completed a grad student residency at the Black Rock Press and now runs the Fat Elk Press here in Reno, Nevada.

Binding, block, and "covers"

This is a style of binding I've done before, but the cover system is different consisting of an envelope type front and back cover and a floating spine. Please be aware this is my description of the technique! There may be a better way to explain. The front and back are covered by a folded stiff paper that's been scored and sewn into the binding like a regular signature.

Spine and block together!

The covers are then filled with museum board, map folder, matt board, Davey board - your preferred "hard cover" material. The spine is measured to the book, mine is off by a noticeable 3mm (for shame, Rachel!), covered in book cloth and glued to the cover and text block. The cover papers are then attached.

This is a handsome creation, one I may well make again if I have extra oddly shaped matt board lying around. It is an alternative to the structure relying more heavily on adhesive (on an exposed binding like my December books), book cloth or the binding itself (as with my coptic stitched journal).

Carol Brown of the SMAC!

Carol Brown, a fellow printmaker and book artist, was also in my class! It was a pleasure to see her again, she works at the Saint Mary's Art Center in Virginia City, Nevada which has a beautiful press that I will be lucky to use this summer! Thanks so much to Carol for helping organize that print day!

Indie Reno at Wildflower Village

If you aren't aware, the Indie Reno etsy and local artisan group has teamed up with Wildflower Village. Read about our excellent Captain Shelly's efforts and our fabulous boutique as published by the Reno Gazette Journal. Unfortunately the Village has had a rough couple of years and is in need of some serious support if they hope to avoid bankruptcy.

Check out this link to an arts raffle - products donated by Indie Reno members including myself! - to benefit Wildflower Village and this link on the story.

NEW! Donate to support Wildflower Village at this site. Thanks for your time!

UPDATE: Indie Reno is no longer at Wildflower Village, we wish this fixture of Reno the best of luck. Keep checking for continued updates on more Indie Reno activity at www.IndieReno.org

Book Winter

I made all these books in Decebmer!

Often during the winter I have a difficult time responding creatively to the things affecting me. This can lead to the calm part of my artistic cycle that continues through the year. If ever there were a sign that I am a creature of warmth and daylight it is that my love of summer is sincere. As weather turns warmer and daylight hours extend I am more energized and productive.

Orange, grey and blue? Oh yes, it's lovely.

At the start of the New Year I was struck by this beautiful schedule by Julia Kostreva. This color theme was one I hadn't seen before and I decided I liked it so much I would make a journal to match it!

Because I've pretty hard on the books I actually use I decided to use a library-grade linen book cloth and some beautiful acrylic paste-papers I decorated years ago with Katy Govan while she was still at the Black Rock Press. I believe Megan Berner, a teacher of photography at UNR, lead the group that time and Katy showed us how to use the paper as book cover. I don't have much of this paper left but I like it a lot! To stay frugal with such powerful paper is hard for me, but this journal deserved the punch up some orange and gold glittered blue would give it! I decided to do most of the spine reinforcement with cloth and the paper just on the front cover. Though the colors don't match my schedule perfectly they are pretty close and make a lovely pair.

Upcoming Show - Foxy Olive April 2013

As always, keep on keepin' on with my Currents tab to find out what I have coming up next.

This month I'll be showing a collection of skull related prints at the Foxy Olive in downtown Reno just off Lake St. Thanks go out to the lovely Katie Berdan, art coordinator for the Foxy Olive.

Calavera from Las Calacas II in 2012

The show will feature work I've produced over the last several years including my submission (pictured) to the beloved La Calacas Print Exchange curated by Carlos Barbarena, viscosity prints from my time at the now closed Oxbow Press, and relief prints from the incredibly successful Belt and Braces show coordinated by Alana Berglund. Though this show will not have new work it will be an exciting chance to see all the work I've done for the last several years all in the same room!

Please be aware that the Foxy Olive, excellent example of Reno bar culture that it is, is a smoking location. If you are sensitive to smoke please be aware.

More Time Wasting?!

Perhaps, perhaps not! I've been doing a thing or two and have a show coming up in April, check Current for more information, in the interim I'm working with some new imagery. As much as I love anatomy and skulls they've only ever felt like a space to stop and think for awhile. They're a great jumping-off point and will probably continue to feature in my work for the foreseeable future.

For now here is a block I carved. Yes it's SafetyKut, don't judge me it's all I had on hand. This design is rather appealing to me for purely aesthetic reasons, but also because I feel continuity and flow.
It's a small block but has potential. Maybe I'll continue to work with this for the next body of work I'm completing.

 

*Only recently (3/18/13) has it come to my attention that my images were not loading. My apologies. Have some pretty pictures and expect a few more soon. -R

Projects New and Old!

Sometimes, let's be honest - most of the time - what I need to get my inspiration up and running is a simple drawing, request, or project. When I come up with these ideas on my own I tend not to follow through as faithfully as I should. Friends and family created plans get more devotion which, as they can attest, could use improvement but are still fulfilled!

Deadlines are a necessity for me if I intend to accomplish any serious work.

If you enjoy video gaming check out my friend Naz's latest project: The Pink Orangutang channel on Youtube. I am doing my best to assist with what I can as it is requested from logos, to images and possibly basic animation in the future. I'm less than perfect but he's creating some neat things and has begun updating videos on Mondays. This is where some of my creative time has gone in the last couple months, so keep checking as new things are posted and more of my work is apparent.

Shocking, Just Shocking

It's been far too long since I updated, that being said not much has happened during that time. Happily I taught a couple of classes at the Nevada Museum of Art and assisted with the Nevada Chamber Music Festival put on by the folks at Reno Chamber Orchestra.  Please check my Workshops tab to find out about upcoming classes at the Museum and elsewhere. I also have an opening scheduled in April. Come back for updates regarding that event soon.

Skeleton sketch from last fall

As I explain to those with enough time to sit down and enough tolerance to listen to my ranting, art production seems to be connected to a cycle of loathing what work I have recently created, deciding I should probably destroy all of it, and then starting over. That being said I frequently come back to the same themes over and over again.
Printmaking is so much fun. Every time I get a chance to do it I remember how much I love the process, the materials, and watching my work come to fruition (whether I like it or not.) Thanks, again and again, to the Inklings group, the Inkheads printmakers, and those wonderful teachers who gave me the tools I have today.

SafetyKut Relief print from the class I taught.

There are wheels turning and projects in place but few of them are well defined. For now, enjoy this picture from my sketchbook and my most recent print from the Valentines Relief class I taught this past weekend and come back soon to learn about more Adventures in Racheland!