Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Quiet

The Quiet
30" x 36" acrylic on canvas



Monday, July 18, 2011

Painting, continued.

Frogs Five High
18" x 24" acrylic on canvas

Friday, July 15, 2011

The Commute

The Commute
16" x 20" acrylic on canvas

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Sunflowers and Smiling Dogs

The Sunflowers

Sun Worshipper
24" x 36" acrylic on canvas


The Smiling Dog

Smiley
16" x 20" acrylic on canvas

Friday, July 8, 2011

More New Paintings

Obey the Crown
22 x 28 acrylic on canvas


The Escape Artist
24 x 48 acrylic on canvas

Thursday, July 7, 2011

New Work



Trio 24 x 30 acrylic on canvas

A detailed description of the creation of this piece can be found here

Friday, June 10, 2011

World Leader Portrait Comparison

Shirtless Russian Prime Minister Putin and Horse
11x14 woodblock print




United States President Obama in a suit, with dog
11x14 woodblock print




Canadian Prime Minister Harper, in a sweater, with a kitten
11x14 woodblock print

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Place and Circumstance: Recent Additions to the City of Ottawa Fine Art Collection


April 2011 to June 2011
Ottawa City Hall



Place and Circumstance: catalogue cover 2010



The City of Ottawa purchased a large handmade linoblock print made by me in 2009.

day by day, week by week, month by month: Ottawa Bus Strike 213cm x 122cm

Entitled day by day, week by week, month by month: Ottawa Bus Strike this print was created as a response to a city-wide bus strike in the middle of winter which everyone was affected by. As a bus rider with no way to get to where I needed to go, I had to make arrangments with anyone who could help me. I wasn't alone. City traffic grew. Cabs were few and far between. Bikes were pushed into service as were snowshoes, and thumbs were extended as last resorts. The strike didn't just effect the bus rider but the families of riders, the drivers who contended with the rise in traffic, business owners whose business dropped off as people spent more time just trying to get back and forth and found themselves getting tired of all the extra effort.


close up of right side


As an art subject it was rich. Images, comments, stories were heated and burst forth without any prompting from friend and stranger alike. I said to myself "what can I do about this?" and a little voice said "You make things, so make something. You'll feel better."




As a cure for my frustration the act of carving and attacking a piece of lino with a metal tool was very satisfying. Capturing the day to day expression of the strike was very interesting and challenging. Seeing how people were coping and how the community was pulling together and helping each other was heartening. Ottawa is a fairly big city, but in this event, we felt more like a small town. It's rare for a single event to effect us all as this did.




close up of left side


Below please find excerpts from the catalogue concerning my print



Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Woodblock Reduction - My House My Rules

My House My Rules 8x10 -- colour woodblock reduction print

print from stage two of the block

1st stage of the block

2nd stage of the block
4th stage and the final block - very little left


an array of prints all from the same block and the same process



Detailed discussion about the creation of these colour woodblock reduction prints can be found here:
http://plasticmasters.blogspot.com/2007/11/woodblock-reduction-printing-stage-1.html
http://plasticmasters.blogspot.com/2007/11/woodblock-reduction-part-ii.html

Intaglio - etchings

Lustful Need
drypoint etching on BFK Rives 2" x 5"

Can't Stop Must Go
drypoint etching on BFK Rives 3" x 5"

Pantaloon 2" x 3"
zinc plate etching

Pantaloon 2" x 3" etched zinc plate


NOTE: More detailed discussion about the process of making etchings, of which Pantaloon was one of four, can be found here:
http://plasticmasters.blogspot.com/2008/02/etching-results.html


Today's The Day 3" x 5"
zinc etching on stonehenge

Self Portrait With Door - Woodblock

SELF-PORTRAIT WITH DOOR 11" x 14"
woodblock relief print -- edition of 9 bleedprints on BFK Rives



Here is the completed edition



one of 9 prints



print plus woodblock it was printed from

More detailed discussion on the process of making this print can be found here:
http://plasticmasters.blogspot.com/2009/06/self-portrait-with-door.html

ARGYLE TRIPTYCH: Relief Prints




I. Argyle Socks

8x10
on BFK Rives
2008






II. Argyle Socks

8x10
on BFK Rives
2008




III. Argyle, No Socks

8x10
on BFK Rives

more info
2008