Wildlife Linocuts (First Proofs) by 6th Graders at Kearny

This is the third year I've lead a linocut printmaking project with 6th graders at Kearny School through the Wagner's SNAP program (see previous year's posts of work here and here.) These first proofs in black and white are, as always, pretty awesome. Later this week they'll be adding color and making collages with their prints.

 

"Old Man" by Karhu Clifton

Purple shadows creep
Across sun-soaked paths, as he
Leans into the wind

Pig, Hawk, Kiwi, Frog

I've occasionally posted my ceramics on this blog (see dino pots and bird drawings on ceramics) and this is one of those days. Since there's no point in denying that clay has become a second medium for me, I had considered starting a second art blog. Perhaps something that mirrors this one like "Comments on Clay". But then I thought that's dumb. This is my art blog. If I branch out to beyond woodcuts (as I have with posts about monotypes, stone reliefs, and Sketchbook Sunday) then I branch out. "Words On Woodcuts" isn't just a description of the blog. It's also part of my brand as an artist, I suppose.

I recently finished four new pinch pots with drawings on them. I'm told they relate well to my prints, and I think that's true. Certainly in process. Both ceramics and woodcuts involve a certain amount of uncertainty that opens up possibilities for unique expression and "happy accidents" so-to-speak, as they both involve a multi-step process where outcomes are never completely certain. I go into projects with a general outline of an idea, but allow my intuition and the materials themselves to guide the journey to a final outcome that marries expectation with discovery.

Winter and Summer Animal Prints Put Into Collages

This week in my K-2nd grade Animal Kingdom after school class at the University City Arts League I had the kids create summer and winter scenes with oil pastels and watercolor, then cut out their prints from last week of animals that change the color of their coats based on the season and place them in the scenes. I think the results are pretty wonderful.

"KT Event: The Asteroid Hits"

This is a second mixed media (woodcut with watercolor painting and charcoal drawing) that I made for a pitch video coming up. The first was posted Wednesday.

"KT Event: The Asteroid in Space"

I'm slowly gearing up to publish my next commercial trade picture book The Nautilus and the Ammonite. I made this watercolor and woodcut collage of the asteroid from the KT Event heading toward earth. It will likely be used as part of a pitch video for the fundraising portion of this project. But honestly, I've been wanting to use that little woodcut of the asteroid in another work since I originally carved it for this double page spread of the book.

Sketchbook Sunday: Violin Practice

This is a sketch of my daughter who is practicing for her Suzuki Violin Level 1B audition next month. She always looks so serious when she practices.