December News!
December 11, 2011
I know it has been awhile since I last posted. Here’s what’s going on…
Women Printmakers of Austin
Multiple Originals XVI, Pump Project Gallery
Three of my new etchings are on display at Pump Project Gallery in Austin TX as part of the members’ exhibition of the Women Printmakers of Austin. The WPA is a wonderful resource for all printmakers. The website is fantastic because of how easy it is to find other artists’ work. Every month, a different artist is featured on the web newsletter and I’ve learned quite a bit about techniques I’ve not yet used. One of these days when I’m in Texas visiting my folks, I’ll have to make a side trip to Austin and see the print facility and meet Ashley Salinas, Anna Kinbar and Angela Hayes who have been so gracious to this Washington printmaker!
Waitsburg!
The Palouse
I spent the last half of November in Waitsburg WA house-sitting for my friends, wine writer and musician, Paul Gregutt and film maker, Karen Stanton (Karen directed “A Not So Still Life” about Seattle artist, Ginny Ruffner). Waitsburg is located in the Palouse, near Walla Walla. Cold dry climate, rolling hills, wheat, vineyards and open space provided just the kind of retreat I wanted. Much of my time was spent working on my new website which I hope to launch before Christmas (of this year!). I spent quite a bit of time spent numbering, signing, matting, wrapping the new etchings from the White Flower Suite. Everyday, I made a trip to the Post Office to send out work. I now have complete sets of the new series at Brackenwood Gallery in Langley WA, Waterworks Gallery in Friday Harbor WA and Studio 2091 in Cuyahoga Falls OH.
It wasn’t all work! I enjoyed getting to know people in the community. Waitsburg is a little gem of a town with some hardworking, creative residents who are busy re-claiming the town’s history and providing it a future as a destination for food, wine and art. I enjoyed myself mightily at the jimgermanbar, the Whoopemup Holler Cafe, Coppei Coffee and the Anchor Tavern and I saw a lovely exhibit of artful lights at the AMO Gallery. And while I was there, the November 27th Sunday edition of Walla Walla Lifestyles had a feature on Waitsburg’s newest enterprises which included a nice picture of my friends, Paul and Karen in their Three Maples Guest Cottage.
Claire Johnston's gallery, AMO Art, Waitsburg WA
Studio 2091 Mothersbaugh Roos
Cuyahoga Falls OH
Amy at Studio 2091, Cuyahoga Falls OH
In other news, I am now showing etchings at Amy Mothersbaugh Roos’ gallery in Ohio. I’ve posted about Amy and her gallery when my Facebook friend, Johnny Crymes had a show there last June. Amy and I have become good friends since we “met” on Facebook which was right about the time she opened her gallery/studio. And since then, she’s kept her many followers updated on all the events and activities that have happened at Studio 2091. I’ve been impressed with how Amy has embraced social networking and community involvement to keep art alive in Ohio!
Randolph Roeder's digital art celebrating Studio 2091's first birthday!
Now I’m home with Joe and the kitty. Hope this Holiday Season is a good one for you all!
Here are the links:
The Last White Flower for 2011
November 13, 2011
"Waiting" 2011, Intaglio, 6x4"
Waiting is the eighth and last etching of The White Flower Suite. I’ve been working on these prints since last March and with the cold, dark months ahead, I’ve decided that eight is enough for this series. It’s time to close down the print shop for the winter and move into my “garret” where I can sit next to a space heater and make collage and watercolor.
The transition from printmaking to painting is always a challenge for me. And as luck would have it, my friend Patti Gulledge White, a wonderful watercolor artist here on Whidbey, has invited me to her class tomorrow to talk about my paintings with her students. I’m presenting a computer slide show of my watercolors, answering questions and demonstrating a bit of my technique. I’ve never demonstrated how I paint because it’s so slow and boring! We’ll see how it goes. Maybe it will help me change the channel from etching to painting.
Here is a beautiful example of Patti's work.
The White Flower Series
October 6, 2011
"Refuge" 2011, intaglio, 6x4"
In May of 2011, I exhibited the first four etchings from my White Flower series at Brackenwood Gallery in Langley WA. I have been working on this suite ever since! The flowers were taken from botanical studies I’ve worked on over the years.
What surprised me is just how difficult these images were to produce. I love using a variety of intaglio techniques to get what I want…however, there is such a thing as The Law of Diminishing Returns. So after weeks in the studio, here are three more to add for now. I’m still working on two more plates and I’m thinking about adding one more for ten in the suite.
The techniques I employ are hard ground, soft ground, aquatint, and white ground. After I have etched the plates in ferric chloride with those techniques, I then use hand tools: scrapers, burnishers, roulettes and a drypoint needle to refine the image.
"Shade" 2011, intaglio, 6x4"
"Tell me" 2011, intaglio, 6x4"
The Froggwell Cultural Institute presents…
July 28, 2011
… an Exhibition and Sale of Historically Important Modern Art
Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31
10 am to 6 Pm
The Institute will celebrate the 98th Anniversary (anyone could do a 100th!)
of the New York City Armory Show of 1913.
Through various means (mainly forgery), Froggwell has acquired access to painting and sculpture from the show that scandalized the American understanding of Modern Art.
A forgers’ reception will be held
Saturday, July 30, 3-6 PM
5508 Double Bluff Road, north of 525
3rd driveway on the left.
360-730-7308
This weekend is the Froggwell Cultural Institute’s second exhibition of forged Masterpieces. This year, Ralph Hastings organized the exhibit around the 98th anniversary of the New York City Armory Show of 1913. Believe it or not, out of the 1300 works of art shown in 1913, I had difficulty finding one I thought I’d be able to do well! I discovered Gwen John (1876-1939), a British painter who spent most of her life in France. Her painting “Girl Reading by a Window” was painted in 1911 and is now in the Museum of Modern Art, New York. I took the liberty of forging a watercolor “study” of her oil painting.
I had a sneak peek of the show when I dropped off my work and the work of Johnny Crymes (he sent pieces from Nantes, France!). The participating artists really outdid themselves. And the work in Ralph’s home gave me the feeling of a salon of the era. I expected Gertrude Stein to appear at any moment!
It’s a beautiful show thanks to Ralph and his team: Robin, Karen, Harriet and others. http://froggwell.blogspot.com/
Last weekend, after returning from visiting the folks in Texas, I stumbled through a two day printmaking demonstration at the Greenbank Loganberry Festival. This was the first arts festival I’ve ever been part of and it’s quite different from showing in galleries. I learned from the experience! If I participate next year, I’ll know how to be a bit more informative about the printmaking process. Bill Ritchie, maker of my Halfwood Mini etching press showed up with his family. I’m always happy to see Bill because of his wealth of knowledge about printmaking. He’s so generous with both his time and expertise. It was fun sharing a booth with my friend and fellow artist, Anne Belov who printed polyester plate lithography. We both enjoyed being next door to Vicky Brown and her delicious handmade goat cheese from Whidbey’s only dairy, The Little Brown Farm.
Outside!
July 1, 2011
I love the garden between the house and my studio this time of year. On my walk (across the driveway) to work, I pass the rose arbor which is in full bloom. The old-fashioned English roses fill the air with fragrance. Next to the studio is my little woodland garden, a work in progress for several years. I’ve planted Wood Anenome, Bleeding Heart, Lady’s Mantle, lilies and poppies as well as Deer, Sword and Maidenhair ferns. The Vine maple is finally big enough to provide the shade that these sweet plants enjoy. Right next to the doorway is a gorgeous peony that my friend Ralph Hastings gave me. It has two huge single blossoms that are a deep, clear red.
English roses on the arbor
Shade
Red beauty!
Step by step by step by step…
June 19, 2011
I think that blogging is harder for me than etching. I know that sounds lame but it’s true. So this post is about something I know how to do.
Many people have asked me about my process with etching. These are some of the working proofs I made while creating the etching “Welcome.” I used a combination of techniques such as hard ground, soft ground and aquatints. I’ll be posting photos and short videos in the future to illustrate these techniques. For now, these proofs will give you some idea of the steps needed to finish a piece.
"Welcome" Intaglio
First... a simple line etch
By pressing tarlatan into a soft waxy ground and then etching, I can create a fabric texture in the background.
I like using spray acrylic aquatints for tone. Spray aquatints allow me to work one section at a time fairly quickly.
To create soft transitions in the etched plate, I sand and burnish the aquatinted areas to create lighter areas in the back ground.
I've added another aquatint to the leaves and blossom as well as an aquatint on top of the burnished background.
At this stage, I bring out the hand tools: burnishers, scrapers, drypoint needles and roulettes to finish the piece. And I may throw on another aquatint or two if need be.
Since the white blossom of the tulip is the focal point of the print, I spent much time and many proofs to get the look I wanted.
This is the final proof in black ink. Now for the color proofing..
Here's a stack of the proofs I made while working on this piece! Gotta get it right!
Enough about me…Johnny Crymes at Studio 2091
June 5, 2011
Street Beggar with Glasses, 10 x 8" Oil, acrylic on canvas
A little shout out to my friend Johnny Crymes aka John Fitzgerald Filthyhippy Phd who is currently exhibiting “57 Weirdos” at Studio 2091 in Cuyahoga Falls OH. John is an American painter living in Nantes, France. I’ve been following his posts on facebook for almost two years. I consider him a friend even though we’ve never met in real life. Amy Mothersbaugh Roos, owner of Studio 2091 is one of our 57 mutual friends. I’ve had a great time watching and learning from their collaboration on this show.
John’s posts on facebook always make me smile. His posts are a combination of gentle, silly, humorous status updates: “JFF is very excited by plywood” or “JFF is finally relaxing with a box of cake mix”, interesting music links, and his paintings. I checked out the albums on his profile and discovered he must paint all the time! Dozens of paintings including portraits of baseball heroes, musicians, writers, artists and his friends as well as figurative paintings, abstractions and landscapes; an amazing body of work showing a wide range of interests and technique, all with a distinctive use of color and line that I find appealing.
I have followed Amy’s adventures as a gallery owner and art advocate on facebook for several months. Her gallery is celebrating its first anniversary this month! It has been a joy to watch an energetic young woman create an art venue that addresses the challenges that artists and galleries face in our current economy. Amy uses her experience as an artist, a business person and mother of four to bring fresh ideas to the gallery and her community.
"Fool with a Pointy Hat" by Johnny Crymes
My pointy hat is off to both John for his beautiful paintings and Amy for the energy and style she brings to the party. And to both of them for the outstanding job they did promoting the show in a fun and engaging way! John made the opening via Skype!
By the way, we love our new paintings!
The Butcher Boy
Rose Cheramie
If you scroll down to the bottom of my blog you can go to the Studio 2091 Webstore and check out all 57 Weirdos plus some that John has added since the show opened!
At Waterworks Gallery in Friday Harbor, WA
June 3, 2011
Four of my most recent watercolors are currently at Waterworks Gallery in Friday Harbor. If you plan on visiting San Juan Island this summer, please stop by this lovely gallery! Ruth shows an interesting and eclectic mix of art.
"Film noir" ©2010 Gail Gwinn, watercolor, 5 x 7"(sold)
"Always in debut" ©2010 Gail Gwinn, watercolor, 7 x 5"
"Through windows" ©2010 Gail Gwinn, watercolor, 5x7"
"Within bounds" ©2010 Gail Gwinn, watercolor, 5 x 7"(sold)
Thank you Bill Ritchie for coming to our demonstration and making this video! And thank you Bridget Fischer and Bruce Morrow for participating. It was a fun day at the gallery!
Have Press, Will Travel
May 2, 2011
I am now the proud owner of a Mini Halfwood Etching Press, handmade by Bill Ritchie. I will be using this press for printmaking demonstrations and classes. My first outing will be at the Brackenwood Gallery in Langley WA sometime in May. I have new work in a group print show, “It’s All in the Fine Print” which opens May 7 and ends May 31.
This press may look like a toy but it prints like a dream!
Testing a Halfwood Mini at Bill Ritchie's studio
Have press, will travel
Everything I need to print
My favorite tools
I can carry this to my car!
