"Daisy and Balloon Flower"

Today, I put the finishing touches on the latest in my floral print series, "Daisy and Balloon Flower".  Now that it is complete, it reminds me a bit of "Foxglove and Black Eyed Susan" which I created last fall and which is one of my favorites.  Here is the finished print...

"Daisy and Balloon Flower"

linoleum print - 9" x 12"

I discovered that balloon flowers come in many colors including pink, blue, white and purple.  I thought about coloring a sunset sky of golds and pinks but decided to stick with shades and tints of blue in the sky and use pink balloon flowers to contrast with it.  Here it is...

"Daily and Balloon Flower"

hand colored linoleum print - 9" x 12"

I hope to enter three of these hand colored prints in Chandler Gallery's Area Artist Show in May.

"Tulip and Pussy Willow"

Here is the latest in the flower print series, finished this week.  First, the black and white version...

"Tulip and Pussy Willow"

linoleum print - 9" x 12"

And then, the color print...

"Tulip and Pussy Willow"

hand colored linoleum print - 9" x 12"

It is lovely and meditational mixing and blending the Prismacolors to get the shades and tints just the way they fit together best.   

I am rounding for home now with 7 prints in the series of 12 completed for next year's calendar.  Spring and summer months are much easier than fall and winter months.  So I still have to do January, February, October and November.  But June is underway!

Finished "Poinsettia and Berry"

This morning I finished hand coloring the latest in the floral print series and here it is....

"Poinsettia and Berry"

hand colored linoleum print - 9" x 12"

I may go in and darken the background a bit more, but basically I am pleased with the finished product....

The Next Floral Print

I've been working on "Poinsettia and Berry" and thought I would document what happens when the initial print isn't what one hopes it might be.  Here is the first artist proof:

"Poinsettia and Berry"

linoleum print - 9" x 12" - artist proof

It looks pretty good and I wanted some black areas--maybe even more than show here.  But I hated to lose the red of the leaves to solid black.  I decided I could always darken them when I hand color the print.  I did some more cutting and this is the result....

Poinsettia and Berry

9" x 12" - linoleum print 

I may have given up some graphic strength in service to texture and color, but I like it.  We'll see how it works....

The New Studio

I am finally back to making art after our move and my new studio here at home is wonderfully convenient!

The computer is handy for blogging, referencing images, etc.  And it's a dream to have lots of storage space for materials.  There's room to breath here and a nice view of the south field through the trees.  

Of course, today the view is of yet more snow (and the window screen is showing!) but I'm looking forward to a greener vista in a little while with spring only thirteen days away.... 

This afternoon I am working on designing my next prints in the flower series.

Starting over....

How can it take so long, require so much energy and eclipse everything else to move from Gaysville to Woodstock?  It's barely 25 miles but it might as well be 2500 miles because everything you own has to be picked up, considered,  discarded or packed, moved, unpacked and installed somewhere in the new house.  And that's after the new floors and walls have been sanded, patched, painted and painted again.

The most fun painting was the dining room floor which was painted with a checkerboard "rug" using the colors of the walls in the living room, dining room and office.  Here's Sandy working on the Rockport Gray squares (thank you Sandy!) using Carol's little stool (thank you Carol!).

And here is the finished product....

Now that the really necessary curtains are up and only a little tweaking here and there is required, I am back in the studio.  Two months and fifteen days since I last posted, I am starting over!   And having a studio at home again will be lovely....

Holiday Open Studios at Tip Top

Today from 5 until 8, and tomorrow from noon until 5, artists at Tip Top Art and Media Center in White River Junction will have Open Studios.  There will be artwork for sale, refreshments, music and more!   Please come and enjoy the festive atmosphere!  I will be showing my floral prints, both hand colored and black and white as well as oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings.  

The latest print in my floral series is just finished.  I think it looks like the flowers are dancing in the summer breezes....

"Foxglove and Black Eyed Susan" 

linoleum print   •   9" x 12"

"Foxglove and Black Eyed Susan"

hand colored linoleum print   •   9" x 12"

Tomorrow, don't forget the Opening of the Holiday in Miniature Exhibition at ArtisTree at 6:30.   Small works perfect for holiday gifts at the gallery just north of Woodstock on route 12.