Fresh Ink :: Snow+Flake

Happy Halloween! 
For a lot of people, including myself...it's still too early to see or hear about the winter season. 
However, visions of snow on Halloween aren't that crazy... 
Many of you Minnesotans probably remember the infamous Halloween blizzard of 1991 - when the Twin Cities received 28.4 inches of snow, setting a single storm record for the metropolitan area. I remember the year of the blizzard clearly :: I was Pippi Longstocking - the wire in my braids and freckles painted on my face were the only indicator of my costume since I was otherwise wrapped in my warmest winter coat, boots, mittens, etc. Do you have a memory of the Halloween blizzard? Or maybe another crazy weather related Halloween memory?

Olive Treasuries

My olive print was included in two different treasuries on Etsy yesterday! How cool and ironic is that?! You can check them out here and here.

Edo Pop - The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints

Beginning this Sunday, October 30, 2011 - Sunday, January 8, 2012, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is showing an exhibition of Japanese woodblock prints produced during Japan's Edo period (1600-1868). These prints first featured the beauties of the pleasure quarters and the actors of the Kabuki Theater :: Japan's "pop stars" of the time. Later, artists started to include landscapes, floral studies, etc.

This exhibition will include 160 of the MIA's best prints by the gener's greatest artists, including Hokusai, Utamaro, Kiyonaga, Harunobu, Shunsho, Tokokuni, Hiroshige, and Sharaku. The exhibition will also feature works of contemporary artists who were inspired by Japanese woodblock prints.
If you're in the Twin Cities I strongly recommend checking out this show - I can't wait to see it for myself! 

Kabukido Enkyo
Japanese, 1749-1803
Ichikawa Yaozo III as Umeomaru, 1796
Color woodblock print

Swirling Snowflakes

Despite feeling oh so tired and sicky sick today, I managed to finish carving my next print! 
Now I know it's still a bit early for some wintery subject matter...but I'm needing to create a few winter prints before the art fair I'm in a little more than a month from now. I'm thinking of printing the snowflakes and then creating little votives with them. I've never tried that before, so hopefully it will turn out!

Sick

I woke up this morning feeling like Goya's Self Portrait with Dr. Arrieta... 

ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic...but nevertheless, I'm feeling 

pretty gross with my first major cold of the season. :( 

pic via Minneapolis Institute of Arts

The True and the Questions

I saw this book at the bookstore the other day and thought I would share it with you. In the book The True and the Questions by Sabrina Ward Harrison, Sabrina's artwork and scrawling text are interspersed throughout, inspiring all that flip through the pages. If you're in a creative slump... this might help you climb out of it! :)

pic via Amazon

Inspirational Artists :: Repair, Patch, Lego

German artist Jan Vormann uses Legos to repair damaged walls in his ongoing project, Dispatchwork. He has patched up surfaces in cities around the world like Tel Aviv, Berlin, New York City, and St. Petersburg. Such a simple yet striking idea! 

pics via the artist

Color Combination Series

I stumbled across this the other day and had to share. Miss Moss has created a color combination series where she matches different clothing looks with vintage paintings. Too cool!

pics via Miss Moss

Brand New

Do you remember the sandollar print I did back in August for my friend's nursery? Well, last night she and her husband gave birth to a beautiful baby girl! :) 

Congratulations you two!!!
Some yellow roses for little Nora Rose

Babies are such a nice way to start people.

-Don Herrald

Prints from the Past

A few months ago I shared this print, and today I thought I would share with you another print I did before beginning this blog. The print below is a lithograph I did while studying in Italy. The scene depicts a quaint narrow street and a group of tourists proudly led by their leader, umbrella held high...not an uncommon scene in Florence (or many places in Europe for that matter, especially April - September.) 

Hope you're having a great week!

Artful Displays

I love creative ways to display artwork :: ways that go above and beyond your basic single or small grouping of framed artwork on a blank wall. Here are some that have recently caught my eye.

pics in order via young house love, apartment therapy, google, & Clean & Scentsible   

Fresh Ink :: Finely Feathered

I just finished printing on a Moleskin journal for the first time! I was curious to see how the ink would transfer to the cover of the journal since it's very different than the paper I typically print on. 
The feather design was a fun one to do, I wanted them to appear to be softly floating down the cover.   

Getting a descent photo of this was difficult - I apologize for the weird shadow at the top 

Float

Just finished carving my next print! Stay tuned to see the final result! :)

Was Vincent van Gogh Murdered?

Vincent van Gogh is one of the most well-known artists in the world. Famous for his paintings, he is also widely known as the troubled artist who cut off his own ear and later killed himself. Last night, in a 60 Minutes segment, the authors of a new biography of the artist say their extensive investigation into the life and death of van Gogh indicates he may not have taken his own life. 
Did you watch the program last night? What do you think of this new theory? 


Watch it online here. 


pic via Musée d'Orsay

Reflections of Fall :: A Treasury

I curated this treasury on Etsy a little bit ago, but thought I would share it with you now. I hope you can get out this weekend and enjoy!

A Costume that Goes POP!

How cool is this Halloween costume inspired by prominent American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein?!

pic via Fashion Me Fabulous

Next Project

I've been wanting to experiment with some other methods and mediums with printmaking. Incorporating guache into my olive print a month or so ago was a lot of fun and made me realize just how much more I wanted to try new things! 
For my next print, I'm thinking of printing on a moleskin journal :: I love the idea of incorporating art into everyday objects. The video below is an example of what I'm thinking of, however, my process and image would be very different. In the video, they're using screen printing as their method of printmaking...I do wood and linocut relief printing. 
I think it's a fun idea and one I'm excited to do...now I have to decide what my design will be! :)
Stay tuned!

Ten Great Art Documentaries

These ten art documentaries are worth checking out :: I watched The Mystery of Picasso and Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens in two art history classes I took a few years back. I really enjoyed seeing glimpses of the artists process - something a typical film with actors doesn't usually portray. 

WARNING :: if you're a fellow artist/creative type, watching any of these films will leave you feeling inspired.

Hope you're having a good week! :)

1. The Mystery of Picasso (1956) Renowned French filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot follows his dear friend – Pablo Picasso – through the creation of twenty pieces, in a film that is a work of art within itself.

2. Roy Lichtenstein (1991) This documentary is filmed in interview form, giving viewers open insight into the process and life work of Roy Lichtenstein, straight from the artist himself.

3. Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1995) Winner of the 1995 Academy Award for Best Documentary, this austere film focuses on the projects and processes of Maya Lin, the sculptor best known for the Vietnam War Memorial.

4. I.M. Pei - First Person Singular/The Museum on the Mountain (1997) In renting this DVD you’ll get two documentaries for the price of one, both exploring the world of avant-garde architect and artist I. M. Pei.

5. How to Draw a Bunny (2002) Friends and contemporaries shed light on the reclusive life of Ray Johnson, underground pop artist and founding father of mail art.

6. Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film (2006) In a sea of Andy Warhol documentaries, this Emmy-winning PBS film rises above the fray with special attention to details and rare glimpses into the artist’s early career.

7. Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens (2007) A portrait of Annie Leibovitz, both her life and her life’s work, as her photography career arches through the decades.

8. The Cats of Mirikitani (2007) After discovering 80 year old artist Jimmy Mirikitani painting his joyful cats on the streets of NYC, filmmaker Laura Hattendorf invites him into her home to help unravel his traumatic past and build a better life in the present.

9. Chuck Close (2007) Marion Cajori talks to friends, family, and the artist himself to explore the world of contemporary artist Chuck Close, and the process behind the larger-than-life likenesses that earned him the title “the reinventor of portraiture.”

10. Helvetica (2007) David Carson takes an in-depth, well-researched, smartly executed look into the history and usage of one of graphic design’s most beloved fonts.

by Art Guy via Art School Guide

Inspirational Artists :: Mountain Symmetry

American Photographer Jack Brauer travels the world taking pictures of amazing mountainous landscapes. The visual symmetry between the mountains and their reflection are absolutely stunning!

images by the artist

100 Years of Style in London

This is such a cool and creative video, thought I would share!

via cup of jo

Fresh Ink :: Birch

I just finished printing the birch trees :: FINALLY!  
They were tricky to print since so much of the block had been carved away - leaving not much left for the paper to "grab onto." To be honest, I'm glad these trees are finally done...they took way longer to complete and were a bit finicky with all the fine lines and details. 
Hope you have an enjoyable weekend!

finished print 8 x 10"

close-up of inked block

Art. Distilled.

I stumbled across this last night and couldn't resist.
A company called Bevshots has produced a series of photographic shots of various alcoholic beverages....at 1000x magnification! The process consists of letting a drop of liquor dry on a slide in an airtight container, then shining natural light on both sides of the slide while photographing. The results are stunning, don't you think?!

:: Tequila ::

:: Vodka ::

:: Champagne ::

:: Margarita ::

:: White Russian ::

via sanödox

Inspirational Artists :: Color the Sky

American artist Janet Echelman creates public art installations with her colorful net sculptures drawing on both ancient craft and modern technology. While on a Fulbright lectureship in India she found inspiration from the surrounding fishing village famous for bronze sculptures. After realizing the economic downside of working with bronze, she began experimenting with fishing nets like those the fisherman around her used. Since then she has exhibited many of her huge net sculptures in cities around the world.
Wouldn't you love to see one of these sculptures gently swaying in the wind up above?

via mymodernmet