A Time for Reflecting and Changes

At this time of the year I usually look back at what happened throughout the year and think about where my life is headed.  I am blessed to have a great personal life and I have many good freinds and family.  My partner of 18 years has been so helpful to my life changes, I am grateful! 

This year I am expanding my art horizons and have taken up a new and exciting art medium, printmaking.

I became interested in reduction relief printing when I viewed some art while in Denver at a neat little gallery there.  This process is done by using a wood block or linoleum block called lino block.  First you draw your idea on the surface of the block and then carve away the piece until you have an outline.  The outline is inked and printed on paper.  With reduction printing you carve the piece out a little bit more for each color change.  After you have reduced the block, you no longer can print the piece.  So, the first print you would determine the number in the series and create as many copies that you need.  Then print over each with the whatever number of colors that will be in the piece. 

Since this is just a start for me, I worked three blocks so far, but with only one color.  I have hand colored these to try that method, but I have yet to try the reduction process.  This will be my goal for 2011...to figure out how to do redution relief printing and do it successfully. 

Homestead-Varied Open Print on Bristol $25



Standing Tall-Varied Open Print $25



On Calm Water -Varied Open Print $25

Here are the prints that I made so far. Let me know if you like them, I would love to hear your feedback. 

The Canoeists



The Canoeists-unframed Original  $140-email me!

 Here is another gouache on Canson 12 x 18 that I painted from my canoe event with the Lake County Forest Preserve.

October Morn

Well it's been a few weeks since Debbie and I went out on the Canoe Ride over at Independence Grove with a group from the Lake County Forest Preserves and I finally got around to painting one of the scenes that I photographed that morning.  It was really cool, the fog was heavy along the ground and lived up to the events name "Canoes in the Mist:".  First time I have ever done a group event with the forest preserve and it was really fun.  There were about 14-15 of us in canoes up bright and early for a 7:00 am start. 

Here is a painting I did yesterday...."October Morn".  It's a gouache on Canson 140 lb, 12 x 18 watercolor paper. 

October Morn-unframed Original $140-Email me!

BWCA-West side of Lake Three

Well this is my 6th painting since I returned from the Boundary Water Canoe Area Trip and I am just so juiced up with the beauty of everything that I saw there, I can't stop painting!....I LOVED IT!!! 

West Side of Lake Three-Original $140-email me!

This is a 12 x 18 watercolor and gouache painting on watercolor paper, 140 lb cold press of the west side of Lake Three.  It was behind our campsite and was where the sun set.  Lovely area!

BWCA-What a beautiful place!




The Pond-Original $200-Email me!



 Took a trip canoeing up in the Boundary Waters and just loved it!  Truly a place where you can be close to heaven.  While there I took many photos and have been inspired to paint three paintings already.  Here is the first one.  This is a gouache on hot press Arches, approx. 11 x 14.

Botanic Beauty

Last Saturday met some friends for a bike ride at Old Orchard Road in Skokie and road up to the Chicago Botanic Gardens and back....18 miles! It was a brisk and sunny morning for a ride, but it sure felt good to get out and see the sites, not to mention the good company! 

Botanic Beauty-unframed Original $135-Email me!

On the south side of the gardens there were these beautiful birch trees that were just sparkling in the sun.  I caught them on film and over the week worked on this painting that I call "Botanic Beauty".  It's a gouache painting on Arches 140 lb watercolor paper and measures about 11 x 14 in size.

Savannah Field

Well, I have been trying to get out there and bike as much as possible this season.  It was a promise I made to myself over the winter that I would try and get back to my old day of biking every weekend.  In the good old days, I biked about 40 miles a week.  Several 10 mile trips during the week and 20-25 on the weekends. 

So last weekend we did 11 miles up and back to the Rollins Savannah.  This weekend we did 18 from Old Orchard Rd. to Chicago Botanic Gardens and back.  Boy does that feel good.  I plan on biking all the way into the first week of November, if the weather holds out until then.  I love to bike when the weather is a bit cooler.  When it's hot, it's way too exhausting.  Not to mention I feel like I am going to have heat stroke on the bike. 

Savannah Field-Original pastel-$90-Email me!

Anyway here is a painting I did of the Savannah, that I call Savannah Field, on acid free mat board, 9 x 9, in pastel.  Hope you like!