The Frame-up System - Japanese Tissue Repair

 I dedicate this post to how awesome Japanese tissue paper is. The cover of this leftist pamphlet from our Van Sickle collection was in taters (luckily no one had tried to tape it back together yet). After removing the rusty staples I was left with a gnarled cover in two, almost three, separate pieces. I carefully unfolded everything that was bunched together then mended all the tears from the back with Japanese tissue paper and wheat paste. The before and after results are below.



Before



After

Coming Home at SFSC

Last Thursday (Oct 17th) was the artist program for Coming Home 2: SFSC Alumni Exhibit. My sincere condolences to anyone who missed it. It was great to see my former classmates and their newest work. Everyone's presentations and art work were so different it made for a very engaging afternoon. Crystal Martinez and Chase Smith were two of my fellow alumnus. Crystal is working on Roy Lichtenstein inspired recreations from comic books and Chase explained the programming magic behind his video DNA. I represented printmaking and bookbinding with the Swinging Diptych linocut and the book Old Friends. I love going back to SFSC- I took my first printmaking class there with Mollie Doctrow!

If you are interested in seeing the exhibit, it will be up until October 31st.

DO NOT tape Faust into your Library book!

I don't care how cool and appropriate that nice leather book would look in your play, just don't do it. I'm lookin' at you, Gretchen! You may have been saved in the end, but who was there to save this book? Not you. It took me an entire hour to meticulously lift the scotch tape with an alcohol dipped micro spatula. Luckily the pages on this 1957 volume are clay coated which made the tape removal much easier than it could have been. Still, there is nothing to be done about the staining that has already set in from the adhesive.

Maitland Rotary Art Festival Judging

Caitlin Hudson, one of last year's winners

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of judging the high school art at the Maitland Rotary Art Festival for the second year in a row. I'm kicking myself now because I didn't take my camera and I really wish I had some photos to share. Tell you what, Seminole and Orange county have some talented kiddos! After judging I suggested that next year include some more placement opportunities because there were so many pieces of art that I wish I could have given an award to. 

SFSC Alumni Exhibit

 

Coming Home 2: SFSC Alumni Exhibit is currently showing at the Museum of Florida Art and Culture. My book Old Friends as well as my Swinging Diptych prints are on display. I also have a selection of wrapped prints for sale in the museum store.

This year features a ton of fantastic artists that graduated from South Florida State College (formerly South Florida Community College). The exhibit will be up until October 31st and there will be an Artist Program on Thursday, October 17th from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. I will definitely be there and I'm hoping most of the other artists will as well- I'm really looking forward to catching up with some old classmates!

Unfolding Images Submission



Good For Evil by Sandra Varry 

I'm packing up a new book and sending it off to New Orleans to compete for a chance to exhibit in Unfolding Images at the Contemporary Arts Center. The website best describes the event:

Organized to celebrate the printed image in book form, through photography and repurposed images, Unfolding Images will be designed as a functioning library and reading room, allowing visitors the opportunity to review the selected books in person at the CAC during PhotoNOLA 2013.


Sandra Varry has graciously allowed me to use her beautiful photographs for the book- otherwise I wouldn't have a chance! The book is an edition of twenty and is available for purchase. More photos and details to come. Be sure to watch the Unfolding Images tumblr for my submission and to peruse all the others!

Participation at the Maitland Art Center

What a whirlwind experience! Part of it had to do with being swept away in the magic of A&H's Participation, but most of the whirlwind effect was caused by how much I had to do to prepare. I was one of 21 featured artists in charge of designing and hosting an artist table. The result of my table design is a 9 foot long star book titled "Old Friends".

This was the second Participation I've been to, last year I was one of the volunteers, and it was just as spectacular as I've come to expect. I loved where my table was- I was right outside the window to my studio and next to the fantastic Nathalie Chikhi as well as the Macaroni & Cheese food station. I realized when I saw the event layout a few days before that I may have been a little too emotive about Mac & Cheese station at the Participation artists' meeting.

I also ran a "creation-station" during the evening where I helped guests print their own print to take home with them. I've done this set up before (1st Thursdays, art festivals, etc..), but I made a special linocut for this one. I used oil based ink, so hopefully everyone who came by heeded my warnings and no one ended up with a circus tent on something other than Arches.

Preparation was a week of long nights (and sometimes long mornings) and I've still got aches and pains a week later to remember it by. Apparently my self-loathing was at an all time high as I pushed off production until the Monday before the event. This is the largest book I've ever made. The back layer alone is a 12 foot hand printed linocut.

1st Thursdays Impressions: The Printmaker's Art

Artists in Action in Orlando Arts Magazine