Rex Howls At The Moon

The most recent Fiji Island Mermaid Press Book of the Month club mailing was a bit different from the typical "book". On the envelope was a linocut of a howling dog, with "Rex Howls At. . ." in pencil. The envelope contained another linocut, titled "The Moon". This is my 13th year of sending out little books. That's kind of nuts. This was the first one that really wasn't a book, but it was a little narrative sequence of sorts, so I guess my subscribers will forgive me. Another thing they seem to forgive me for is my chronic tardiness. The Book of the Month club has never actually succeeded in sending out a book every month. Ever. But I always do send people 13 books over the course of their subscription, so I guess that's ok too. I'm thinking of changing the name to the "FIMP Something or Other in the Mail Once in a While Club".

Vicious

That linocut I was working on a couple of blog posts ago? It's finished.

Work in Progress - a linocut for "Our Rarer Monsters"

I'm currently working on the seventh linocut of a series of eight that will be published in a book of poetry by Noel Sloboda later this year. The book will be "Our Rarer Monsters", and I've been posting the linocuts and some various related images over on flickr. Here's the first little doodle, drawn on the manuscript while reading the poems and thinking about the kinds of images I wanted to make: Then there were some thumbnail sketches in the sketchbook - here's an excerpt from that particular exploration with the pen: And here's the initial drawing that I worked up on the block, before I made the first cut: As I've been working on these prints I've been scanning the blocks. I've found this to be useful as a way of deciding where to go next with the gouge. I can take the scan in photoshop, heighten the contrast to get a sense of the final black and white look of the linocut, and reverse the image to see the mirror image composition that will be the actual finished print. That reversal can have big effects on a composition, so it's helpful to have some sense of what's going to happen. But I realized that the scans themselves were becoming kind of beautiful as images on their own, both for the contrast between the carved mark and the drawn mark, and because the surface gets so heavily worked as I draw and erase and redraw, looking for both the correct value and, often more critically, the direction of the cut that I want to make next. I tend to work very slowly and sneak up on the image, and try to avoid settling in to a pattern when I cut. I really want to draw with the gouge. So, I post these hybrid images as a sort of "behind-the-scenes" look at how the linocuts happen. It's a different species of drawing than what I do in my sketchbook. Some of the marks are describing value, and some are shorthand marks recording decisions about which direction my next cut should take - which of the possible cross-contours my gouge will follow. The last image above is the current state of the block - plenty of opportunities left to screw it up. Stay tuned to see if it survives.

linocut for "Our Rarer Monsters"

linocut for "Our Rarer Monsters" (Polonius) a photo by Marc Snyder on Flickr.

A new linocut, one of eight that will accompany Noel Sloboda's "Our Rarer Monsters", which will be published by sunnyoutside press in 2012.

Current Events. . .

UC Davis a photo by Marc Snyder on Flickr.

a linocut for Our Rarer Monsters

This is the first of eight linocuts that I am producing for "Our Rarer Monsters", a book of poetry by Noel Sloboda that will be published in 2012 by sunnyoutside press. I'm planning on posting process shots and finished linocuts from the suite of prints as I make them, so tune in over the next couple of months to cheer and/or jeer, as the results merit.

Drawing to be Destroyed

Hopefully transformed, instead of destroyed. A drawing on a linoblock that I've just started cutting.

Deck the Halls - an exhibition at 28 West Second Gallery in Greensburg, PA

28 West Second Gallery & Studio Space presents Deck the Halls: A Second Annual Holiday Exhibition, with an opening reception on Saturday, December 11, 2010 from 7 - 10 PM. Exhibition continues through December 24, 2010.

Deck the Halls features art work from local artists throughout the western Pennsylvania region: Michael Bendik, Michelle Eng-Bendik, Robert Bishop, Tony Cacalano, Kyle Fischer, John Lario, Roberta Meyers, Amy Rustic, Scott Snaden, Marc Snyder, Meeghan Triggs and more. There will be a wide variety of art work ranging from collage, fiber arts, painting, printmaking, sculpture and photography. Find a unique gift for those special people in your life!



I'm delighted to have 7 linocuts included in this exhibition, including this one, "Lunch Hour".

28 West Second is a really great gallery here in Greensburg, and I would encourage everyone who can to take this opportunity to visit it!


28 West Second
Gallery & Studio Space
28 West Second St
Greensburg, PA 15601
Website: www.28westsecond.com

Gallery Hours: Tues - Fri Noon - 6 PM/ Sat 11 AM - 4 PM / Appointments Welcome / Admission is Free

Printmakers Today

I am delighted to tell you that six of my linocuts have been included in Printmakers Today, a beautiful, 256 page, full color book presenting the original prints of 63 contemporary artists. Each artist is represented by six images and an artist's statement. The reproductions average about 4" x 6", with some like my Justice linocut reproduced at 6" x 9".



All of the artists represented in the book are artist-printmakers. In other words, these aren't artists who work primarily in another medium and have been invited to make prints by a professional shop - these are all folks who have ink in their blood. It's great to see a collection of top-notch original prints by true printmakers lovingly reproduced in full color in such a handsome hardcover book.

Printmakers Today is published by Schiffer Publishing. It was expertly compiled and edited by Jeffrey B. Snyder. Amazon has listed a release date of June 1. It's a real winner, you should add it to your library.

Right Answers Wrong Questions

Here are the first two pages from "Right Answers Wrong Questions". This is the only FIMP book where I made separate linocuts for each page. Linocuts reproduce wonderfully on the xerox machine! A couple of these tiny prints packed quite a punch. I made a separate edition of the Suppress Dissent linocut, adding a background plate and playing with the color. A pretty satisfying book.

Amnesty International art auction tonight, in St. Louis

The St. Louis chapter of Amnesty International presents an exhibit featuring the women of Zimbabwe and a silent auction fundraiser, tonight from 7 - 9 at SqWires Annex, in historic Lafayette Square.



I've donated two linocuts for the auction, "Mad Dog" and "Right Answers, Wrong Questions". Add a little art to your collection and support a fantastic cause tonight by attending this auction!

A Visual History of the George W. Bush Presidency

This linocut is my contribution to “A Visual History of the George W. Bush Presidency”, a print portfolio organized by William Mathie, John Lysak and Franz Spohn. Here's the premise of the portfolio:

President Bush has stated repeatedly that history will be the judge of his presidency. Upon the conclusion of President Bush’s tenure as President, this portfolio will use images and printmaking media to begin writing the history of his years in office. All images in the portfolio will be inspired by specific news accounts from major newspapers/news agencies. Each artist will choose the story that inspires the print they create. There is no predetermined political agenda for artist participants.

My linocut is a response to THREATS AND RESPONSES: SECURITY; Bush to Outline Doctrine of Striking Foes First, By DAVID E. SANGER, Published: September 20, 2002.

The portfolio, consisting of eighteen prints with slip sheets that reproduce the corresponding articles, will be on display at the upcoming Southern Graphics Council Conference in Chicago. The portfolio will also enter the permanent collections of the Southern Graphics Council; Anchor Graphics at Columbia College, Chicago; and the Edinboro University Printmaking/Egress Press and Research, the Erie Art Museum.

Here in Pittsburgh, the portfolio will be on display at AIR. I'll be sure to post the dates of that exhibition when I have them.

Feasting

This linocut is my contribution to the Moveable Feast portfolio, organized by Carrie Lingscheit and Danielle Wyckoff. So, admittedly, it's not quite the festive image that the portfolio theme suggests. But there's lunar imagery (the Moveable Feast in a religious sense is based on the lunar calendar), there's food, the food is certainly portable, so that's "Moveable". . . and feasting will happen eventually.

In Pittsburgh? Get on over to GalleriE CHIZ

If you're in Pittsburgh, I would like to encourage you to stop by GalleriE CHIZ, and check out their big holiday group show. I'm delighted to be one of the artists included in the exhibition. It's a wonderful mix of 2-d and 3-d work. Here are a few of my favorites from the show:



Thomas Norulak
Secret Steps
etching


There are several nice etchings by Tom Norulak. Tom pointed me towards approaching the gallery with my work. He's a great printmaker who lives here in Pittsburgh, and I've spent many fine evenings slinging ink with him in the printmaking studio at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.



Mary Culbertson-Stark
Untitled
charcoal on Rives BFK


There are several really beautiful drawings by Mary Culbertson-Stark. She really knows how to attack the page with the pencil. Great stuff.



Stephen Tuomala
Untitled
oil on board


Stephen Tuomala has both paintings and drawings in the exhibition. I like the way he pushes the negative space around in these small interiors - the action is all in the space around the objects. Exciting work.



Priscilla Hollingsworth
Small Chartreuse Bowl with Large Spikes
terra cotta with englobes and glaze fired in oxidation


It was a real surprise to find Priscilla Hollingsworth's energetic and fun sculpture here. Priscilla and I were at Indiana University for grad school at the same time. I'm delighted to share some gallery space with her!



Marc Snyder
24 Poets and 1 Astronaut
linocut


Here's one of the nine linocuts that I've got hanging there now. One of my favorites, and it happens to be the last one from that edition, so that's just another reason to get in to see the show.

GalleriE CHIZ is located in Shadyside at 5831 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232. It's open from 11am to 5:30pm, Tuesday through Friday, and 11am to 5pm on Saturday.

If you want it, here it is. . .

As promised a post or two ago, you can surf to this auction to pick up Crow IV. The auction finishes up next Sunday.

Crow IV

Here's Crow IV. . . you can see its earlier state in the previous post. I'll probably put this one up for sale on eBay this coming Thursday night. So, after a long hiatus from online auctions, here's a chance to pick up something of mine over the web.

cawcawcaw. . .caw.

This one's in progress. We'll see where it goes. This will eventually be the fourth of these crows, if all goes well. You can see the other three down below.

Crows 2 and 3.

Crow II, linocut, acrylic, and collage




Crow III, linocut, etching, acrylic, and collage


Well, here are Crows II and III (see Crow I below). I'm pleased to report that these three pieces were selected by juror Robert Villamagna for "Altered States", a printmaking exhibition that will be on display this November at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

Caw, caw.

Crow I, linocut and acrylic


Here's the first of what I'm thinking will be 3 images from the linocut you might have noticed a couple of posts ago. . .

By the way, there's a new feature over there in the right column, at the bottom, that allows you to "follow" the blog. If you want your avatar on the page, and a quick way to see new posts from FIMP, well, there you go.

Caw.

This is going to be the base of a few images. . . stay tuned.