High Resolution Image of "Lost Dog"

This is a higher resolution and generally better photo of my print from Big Ink at Fleisher. Click here for more info about that.

Participating in Big Ink at the Fleisher

Today I participated in a Big Ink event at the Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia. Big Ink is a mobile workshop that promotes large-scale woodcut printmaking. I was very excited when I saw the open call and that they were coming to my city. Even though I am insanely busy this whole summer with teaching and showing and releasing my new book, I couldn't pass up this amazing opportunity to print a large block on the "big tuna" press.

The best part of participating in this event was meeting the other artists and printing together. Participating artists included John McKaig, Polly Perkins, Rosa Leff, Rraine Nolan, Sarah Matthews, William Worley, Zachariah Schmitt, Rebecca Gilbert, and the duo of Bobbie Adams & Bill Brookover. I rarely get to hang out with other artists these days, and I haven't been to a critique in years, so chatting with all these artists about their work and life and backgrounds was a welcome opportunity. 

Here are photos of the inking and printing of my 24" x 48" block and print titled "Lost Dog". The image of the dog is taken from a nineteenth century illustration of the short-eared dog, which is actually a type of fox, and currently an endangered species. The phone number is to the Canid Specialist Group based in the UK that works to maintain information on the status and preservation of canids. The music in the bottom section of the print is taken from a eighteenth century book of songs for children that I found in the Library of Congress archives: Oh Where Oh Where Is My Little Dog Gone. 

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Lyell Castonguay applying ink to my block.

  

Imagined Bugs Print/Collages by 5th and 6th Graders at CAC

I am having a fantastic summer teaching kids at the Summer Spree art camp at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford. This is a set of relief prints made with foam boards made by 5th and 6th graders. I had the kids draw bugs from their imagination into the foam and we printed 4 layers of color, adding pieces of foam or scratching in more marks and darkening the color of ink with each new layer.

We were originally planning a 5th layer in black, but the effects up until that point were so fantastic and we feared accidentally covering what was already there. So we switched up plans and decided to emphasize the colors and textures by cutting out and swapping the bugs and backgrounds printed in different color schemes.

What I love best about teaching at CAC is the ability to experiment with new project ideas and change plans in the middle based on what happens with the kids in the studio. These are probably the best prints by students I've worked with since the reduction prints I did with 6th graders at Kearny 2 and a half years ago.

Children's artwork can be amazing!

The Nautilus and the Ammonite is now for sale!

Announcing the release of The Nautilus and the Ammonite! 

The Nautilus and the Ammonite is my latest book project. It features an anonymous poem that I simply fell in love with. The poem dates back to the 1800’s, an era when the science of paleontology was still taking its first steps. Its narrative follows two ancient mollusks, friends who together witness the last days of the Cretaceous, and one - the Ammonite - who is lost in the same event that took the dinosaurs.

This book is unique in that it juxtaposes old fashioned poetic language with contemporary visual art. The result is a volume that explores scientific questions about our world while contemplating philosophical implications in a way that is as emotionally responsive as it is brainy. 

You can view all the artwork and hear the poem in a Read Aloud version of the book on YouTube found here. 

The book is 9" x 12" Smythe sewn case bind (hardcover,) color offset printing, 32 pages plus printed end sheets. First edition of 300. Retail price of $20.00. 
Get a signed copy (FREE SHIPPING for US customers) by contacting me directly at marfknox (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line "Nautilus and Ammonite". 

Exhibition: Selections from Owl and Cat In Love at Metropolitan Bakery

Through the month of August I'm exhibiting 16 of the 20 color woodcuts from my book project Owl and Cat In Love at the Metropolitan Bakery at 4013 Walnut Street in University City. Here's some photos of the display. The menu is full of delicious items, so if you're in Philly in August, I recommend having lunch there.

Sketchbook Sunday: Watercolors in the Garden at CAC

Last week I focused on watercolor painting techniques with my 4th grade Summer Spree campers. This was a demo I did along with them to showcase wet-on-wet, drybrush, texture with salt and rubbing alcohol, and oil pastel resist. They started with drawings from the flower garden. Much fun was had.

Linocuts by 4th-6th Graders

These are some linocuts by 4th-6th graders enrolled in Summer Spree at the Community Arts Center. First time these kids ever made linocuts. There were a few small cuts (nothing a bandaid couldn't fix) and three kids opted out for fear of those sharp blades, but overall I was super impressed with these first proofs.

This depicts a guillotine in a museum.