Penland 2010…

Jenny Schmid, 'Bunny Girl, Mushroom Lover,' mezzotint, 4 x 8 in.

…here I come.

Just found out I’m going to Penland for Jenny Schmid’s Mezzotint Madddnesss class! (August 29 – September 4)

Schmid is one of my favorite artists. You can see more at her site, Bikini Press International. AND I’ve been wanting to learn traditional mezzotint for quite some time, so this is really a dream come true. Read more about the class at Penland’s Printmaking & Letterpress Summer 2010.’

The Dogs of Penland

I like to think this is part I, with more dogs to come, but at this point, I’m just relieved to have finally finished hand-coloring them!

Last summer I was very fortunate to be able to attend a class at Penland School of Arts and Crafts, thanks to their generous scholarship program. I took a printmaking course in intaglio, woodcut, letterpress by Belgian artist, printmaker Goedele Peeters. She was a wonderful instructor and it was a thrill to see her work up close (and to see her make new work). At Penland, I noticed there were a number of really terrific dogs, and that their owners loved to talk about their companions. I decided to make a short book The Dogs of Penland featuring some of these pets. I have to say that these were some of the funniest, nicest people/artists I’ve ever met, and I never would have gotten to know them if it weren’t for their wonderful, awesome dogs. One thing I noticed is that whenever anyone came near to talk to the artist or their companion, everyone ended up smiling. There is something about these animals that brings out the best in people and it continues to delight and amaze me. I know the joy these critters emitted was in no small part due to the fact that they had great owners who really cared about their pets health, well-being and happiness. And they were extremely well socialized dogs, which is no small feat. That said, here are a  few small portraits of some of them, that make up volume 1 of The Dogs of Penland:

Roscoe, owned by Anne:

Roscoe the Ginormous • 3 1/2 ” x 5″ • hand-colored intaglio
Roscoe is a mastiff…. Climbing up and out of the car, he looked like a small, lanky horse emerging from what seemed to be an impossibly small car for a beast so big. He then proceeded to walk up to the cafe (where Annie works), with his own leash in his mouth—leading himself up the hill for his photoshoot. He is a beautiful, quiet, gentle giant, and a great model (he holds very still!).

Lilly, owned by Edwina Bringle:

Lilly Strikes a Pose • 5″ x 3 1/2″ • hand-colored intaglio
On the other end of the size spectrum, there is Lilly. When I first met her, she was walking quickly to go greet her friends at the store…and smiling. She was always smiling, and it was catching! Lilly, when I asked her to, quickly struck a pose, flashed a winning glance my way , and then quickly pattered on to her visit. Things to do,… people to meet!

Wyatt, owned by Nathan and Angela:

Wyatt, Class Clown, • 3 1/2″ x 5″ • hand-colored intaglio
Wyatt is a complete goofball—he seems to live to amuse. When I would watch him chase a ball, or look lovingly, goofily up at Angela, he just made me laugh. There was nothing really regal or poised about him (though a very beautiful dog)—he seemed to live to play and to bring out the good humor of those around him.

Patsy Jo, owned by David Chatt

Patsy Jo Does Cleopatra • 3 1/2″ x 5″ • hand-colored intaglio
Patsy Jo will do anything her companion David asks of her. She’ll model as a “handbag” (David holds her by the feet, upside down, and Patsy Jo just hangs there, calmly, looking at everybody upside down as if it was the most normal thing in the world). I could not believe how calm she was…and she’s a terrier! When David holds her, she is completely relaxed (as you see here)–totally trusting, and kind of just letting everything hang out. She is utterly devoted to “her guy,” and a great poser.

Pinkerton, owned by Thor Bueno:

“Bang Pinkerton! Bang! Bang!! 4″ x 7″, hand-colored intaglio
Pinkerton is just like a little circus dog. She dances on her hind legs, plays dead when Thor yells “Bang Pinkerton!… Bang!!” Even her eyes rolled up into her head and sort of glassed over–she played the part perfectly. A classic terrier/drama queen.

Petey, owned by Cristina Cordova:

Petey, the Lion Dog •  3 1/2″ x 5″ •  hand-colored woodcut
When I first saw Petey, I exclaimed “What the hell is that?” It was a very large, orange-brown creature, with a lion’s mane and lion’s tail (body/main part of tail shaved so that it looked like a lion). It was the weirdest thing to see this hybrid creature–I had to keep reminding myself that this was a dog–but it was really a great look. Only an artist would think of turning a dog into a lion…

8 months later….

Here's the (previously posted) first print of Wyatt: Engraving on acrylic plate, hand-colored with inks. 5cm x 8cm.

…the Dogs of Penland prints are hand-colored (huge sigh of relief). Sent one print of each dog off to Penland (to the dogs’ owners) on Tuesday, and will scan in my own copy of each of these colored versions soon! These are the prints I did at Penland last summer (July, 2009) in Goedele Peeters’ printmaking class.

More to come!

Peter Singer on Colbert

So, we (Zoology 335: Animal Human Behavior class) get this totally awesome link from one of our classmates about one of the philosophers we are studying in Patricia McConnell’s class. Not that I’m a convert (still raising hogs/pork), but OMG what a great way to remember this guy–Peter Singer–for the next exam!! Humor. Man, if only we had this sort of media for every scientist or philosopher we had to learn, I would totally ace the class….

Peter Singer on ColbertNation

Favorite line:
Colbert: “But if we shouldn’t eat them,… why are they so delicious?”

New litho series

A Bestiary or “Study Guide to Animal Taxonomy” (not sure of title of series/folio). But here’s the first drawing on the first stone in the series, Sus scrofa:

Lots of litho crayon (#4) work, water tusches, etc. This will be a color reduction print, but first doing some black-inked ones. The stone is about 20″ across x 16″ high.

Here’s from the first batch of black-inked images. This one on Rives BFK tan:

And a detail, showing the reticulation in the water-mixed tusche:

Thanks to Jack, the etching of the stone and the detail captured is amazing.

“Worldly Cat” at the Overture

Check out Worldly Cat next time you’re at the Overture’s Rotunda Lobby:

He’s in the Rotunda Lobby, after spending February at the Dane County Airport. Then off to the Zoo!

Zoobilee 2010 schedule
JUNE 19-SEPT 26:
The animals will be displayed throughout the zoo. The art display will consist of life-size and small fiberglass zoo animal sculptures painted or decorated by local artists.

OCTOBER 22:
The art will be sold at a live and silent auction event at Marriott West. Proceeds from the event will be split evenly to benefit American Family Children’s Hospital and the Friends of the Zoo.

More info at Henry Vilas Zoo’s Zoobilee

Perceptive Zuzu

This afternoon, I called J (down at his shop) on cellphone to say I had to take a 20 min nap, and was bringing Ivan in to keep him from barking (I’ve been burning the candle at both ends trying to get work done for M.A. show in May, along with classes, work, farm…. Short naps enable me to function.) I hung up the phone, turned around, looking for dogs (nowhere to be seen), headed toward the stairs, and there was Zuzu 1/2 way up the stairs, waiting for me to come up to bed. Man, she is quick! And perceptive. They listen when I talk on the phone?!? –Said nothing about naps to them ahead of time… She overheard the magic word and rushed to the steps…. She loves her beauty rest.