"Long Eared Owl" on Display at UCAL Block Party Exhibition

I feel proud and honored to be exhibiting this woodcut alongside that of many of my colleagues at the University City Arts League this month. This version of Long Eared Owl, from my 12 Owls series, is printed in oil-based black ink on paper I made myself from cotton and local plants. The Block Party exhibition will be on view through January 3rd.

Sketchbook Sunday: Kiwi

It's been a while since I made a Sketchbook Sunday, and yes, that's because it's been a while since I drew in my sketchbook. Maybe I'll make it a New Year's Resolution to better keep up with that. Certainly a worthy goal.

Anyway, these are sketches from a taxidermy kiwi at the Wagner that I drew in between classes this week. For any interested artists, the Wagner reserves Fridays from 1PM-4PM as open studio time for those who would like to sketch from the collection with dry media. No reservations necessary.

White Line Scratchboard Prints with Kids

I've continued to experiment with different ways introducing students to white line woodcuts. Oftentimes I work with kids that are too young to carve wood or I teach workshops where we don't have the time to do traditional white line woodcuts. This is one fun, quick, and inexpensive alternative. We used Scratch Art Scratchfoam cut into circles. The kids drew lines in with pencils, which pushing the foam down. Then we taped one side of the circle to the paper for registration and began print section by section using Mr. Sketch markers. The markers produced surprisingly vivid color on smooth, white Bristol paper.

"Merchants, Port Said" by Ethel Spowers

Our attempts at survival are like swimming in a whirlpool. Around and around we go, and though it will eventually swallow us up, we can slow, even forget about the descent with energetic movement. And why not enjoy it, too? 

"Sunflower Series #8" by Ouida Touchón

Image used with the permission of the artist. More of Ouida Touchon's work can be found at her website.

The sunflowers have all bend and bowed, petals wilted and turned dull brown. We feel our longing for them in the chilled air and the call of hungry birds.

Kids' Relief Print Fish with Chine Colle

Last week I subbed a class at the University City Arts League and worked with a group of adorable mostly Kindergarten and 1st grade students. I had the kids rip up tissue paper and glue it to a paper as a "water" background. Then they each took a fish shape cut out of Scratch Art Scratchfoam, drew into it, and printed their fish onto the collages. It got sort of chaoic in class and at one point they started printing on each  others' collages, with wonderful results.

Monster Figure Reductions by 4th Graders

These are 2 layer reductions using Scratch Art Scratch foam made by 4th graders at the Community Partnership School. They printed the silhouette of a "monster" figure in black, then added details and printed again in white. I love these on the different colored paper. 

Collograph Faces by 1st Graders

These are collograph faces made by my 1st graders at the Community Partnership School. The kids have been looking at African Masks and talking about the differences between organic and geometric shapes as well as texture and patterns. For this project I gave them foam pieces, lace, yarn, cardboard, and bubble wrap and instructed them to make a collage of a face. They then printed their faces in black block printing ink on different colored sheets of paper. I love how abstract these turned out. The kids had a lot of fun making them too. 

Malachy Award for 2017 NINH

I won the Malachy Award for originality in this year's Naked In New Hope exhibition at Sidetracks Gallery for this white line woodcut: "Asleep In the Chair." One of the Gallery owners though it was very Matisse. Small cash award and a nice line for the resume.

"Subcommittee" by Joan Drew

Feathered mosaic
Tree beset with so many
Personalities

"Night Owl" by Yoshijiro Urushibara

Night is not just for those who appreciate darkness.

Night is also for those who appreciate a more precise and restrained application of light.

"Barn Owl" by Betsy Bowen

Betsy Bowen is one of my favorite printmakers, and I've featured her before on this blog. This image was used with her permission. If you fall in love with it, she sells the originals and reproductions at her website, here, along with many other stunning prints.

Bowen has illustrated several books including one written by Laura Erickson and titled Twelve Owls (I found out about that book after I named my own 12 Owls project.)

I feel this is a more fathomable Barn Owl than the one I posted about earlier this week. This creature leans down either to inspect or search. Though it is beautiful and clandestine, it is also an animal with basic needs and instinctual behaviors.

"Memento Mori" (for Aubrey)

This is my latest white line woodcut. It was created in memory of my cat Aubrey, the most awesome cat in the universe, who passed at the beginning of the summer. An edition of 20 was printed for Baren Forum Exchange #74. It is hand printed with a wooden spoon with watercolors on 90 lb cold press watercolor paper.

Having slept, the cat gets up,
yawns, goes out to make love.
-Kobayashi Issa 

"Barn Owl, Southleigh Wood" by Olivia Clifton-Bligh

Image used with the permission of the artist. Check out more of Olivia Clifton-Bligh's work on her website.

The use of gold and this particular blue combined with the beautifully stylized treatment of the feathers gives this a magical and  otherworldly appearance, which seems particular appropriate for the Barn Owl. There are two families of owls, Tytonidae and Strigidae. The latter are more common owls, with a more familiar, cuddly cat-like appearance to their face. The Tytonidae, or Barn Owls, are characterized by their heart-shaped faces. While they are just as strikingly beautiful a creature, they are also more alien in their appearance (which is perhaps why the makers of the film The Labyrith chose a Barn Owl as the animal alter-ego of the Goblin King).

"Owls" by Fred Jinkins

Image used with the permission of Fred Jinkins. More work by the "Happy Old Artist" can be viewed at his website.

It's a gathering
of the utmost importance. 
A cool breeze slips by. 

"Long Eared Owls" by Andrea Rich

Image © Andrea Rich

Image used with the permission of the artist. More of Andrea Rich's woodcuts and sculptures can be found on her website.

While my 12 Owls campaign is going on (through Nov. 6) I've been now posting owl linocuts and woodcuts by other printmakers. Last time I posted a print of a short-eared owl, so it seems appropriate to now post one of long-eared owls.

Intensely they watch
From high in their canopy
Shielded by branches 

"Short-Eared Owl" by Lisa Hooper

Image used with the permission of the artist. More of Lisa Hooper's artwork can be viewed at her website.

...Just today a friend was telling me about her one unexpected encounter with a wild owl. She noted how this large and fearsome bird of prey's plumage blended so well against the background that it seemed to be just a spooky set of eyes peering out from the trees...

12 Owls Gallery

African Wood Owl

 Here are all the linocuts for the 12 Owls Project I've just completed. The original artwork as well as signed color wall calendars and black and white coloring/keepsake booklets are being offered at a discount through this Indiegogo campaign through Nov. 6. All pre-orders will be filled by the first week of December in time for the gift-giving season.

Please share this campaign through social media and to whoever you think might be interested. The best method for reaching new fans and collectors of my work is word of mouth. Thanks!

Barn Owl

Barred Owl

Bay Owl

Black Banded Owl

Burrowing Owl

Great Grey Owl

Great Horned Owl

Long Eared Owl

Screech Owl

Snow Owl

Spectacled Owl