Saturday, January 27, 2007

Dexigner (art)

http://www.dexigner.com/art/news.html

Waterwoman

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=18481433&albumID=0&imageID=1429004018
I actually found an artist on Myspace!

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

blue wave cycle

a complement to the Red Wave Cycle with the wave centered around a different part of the plate, creating more of a pinwheel feel, which to me, makes the cycle spin faster, like blades on a prop, be that air or ocean.

A set of four waves comes in and surfers argue over which is the best of the four. They can look identical from a distance, but closer examination reveals subtle differences. It might just come down to personal preference.
Each wave builds up, tumbles over, and cycles through the back side of itself in a summersault. Over and over again, lapping against the beach.

Red Wave Cycle

James in color

since it was designed as a black and white wood cut originally it has a "colorized" effect to it. I enjoy the difference between design problems in black and white versus color. What really works for me is the awkwardness that exists between these two approaches when they are smashed together. I see it a lot in the advertising and design world (tons of overlap in those two worlds), and I suspect it's because our ability to reproduce "natural" colors has become so exceptionally easy and many people have great affinity for either older technology or a more rough aethetic. Just look at the continuing popularity of Andy Warhol's screen prints. Their beauty is in their appearance of awkwardness, and the implication that the artist only cared just enough to slap them togehter (though I strongly suspect Andy knew what he was doing more than he cared to talk about)




This one is my favorite of the four. No particular reason other than I like the colors.

I only made four because I was seeing how much I could get away with, adding multiple plates to the process, without betting too technical. I feel that the more reliable I get with color matching, and registration, the closer I get to becoming a human "production machine". This form of printmaking lends itself to (and was invented to) make production runs of images that look the same. But, I enjoy playing with the space between one-of-a-kind image making, and mass-produced replication.

Monday, January 22, 2007

wood cut tree print

waves in frames

These images are 4" x 6" and are part of the "100Waves" series I did last winter. I think they look pretty nice all framed up. I should probably put them up on Ebay when I get a new paypal account.


Matted

Floated on Foam Core

Floated on paper

Sunday, January 21, 2007

t shirts are fun to make



so I thought I'd crank out a screen with my friend's kayak company logo on it and make myself a new shirt
I'll make some more of these for my friends with whatever colors they want.
There are also some ready-made ready to go shirts at the online store

artists need tools too



a multi purpose compound angle cutting 12" capacity chop saw that I've used for making canvas stretchers, blocks for wood cut prints, and even some simple furniture for this broke aspiring artist.

(I'm also putting this up here to make Karja jealous. he he he)

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Surfing Print Sale (big wave fun)

Wave Prints

I thought they'd have to be more expensive, but after selling several outside of the kayaking world I found a way to offer a much better price to those in the kayaking world. So, have a look at these and let me know if you could imagine having one of these hand made prints hanging on your wall.
(information is printed below each photo)


This is the original proof that I made. I like this one so much that I'm keeping it. It is up here so that you can see what the prints look like with a mat around them. The mat opening is about 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches. It crops the image a little bit, but cleans it up nicely.



Group #1
Each of these four ocean wave prints are inside a 9" x 9" frame without a mat. I enjoy them this way, but you can order one with a mat if that is what you wish. There are only 6 copies of each one made. One of each are already gone.

They sell for $60 each. Please specify which ones you want. For example: say you want the green wave with yellow/gold sky from group #1. (yes, it's more gold in real life than in the photo)

Kayaker Prints

Group #2
Each one of these is also inside a 9" x 9" frame without a mat. If a mat is included it will be about 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 like the first picture in this posting. Only 6 copies of each of these, except for the one with the yellowish sky and green wave. That has 12 copies because I liked it so much. 2 copies of that are already sold, and one of each of the others is already gone.

$60 for each one of these that you'd like to have.

Red Wave
This is also in a 9"x9" frame. The sky is a bit more orange that can be shown on the internet. Only 6 of these were printed. 2 of them are already sold and shipped, so that leaves just 4 available if it's something that you'd like to have.

Price is $60 like the others.


Surf Kayaker Group
These 9" x 9" framed prints have an image size that is a little bit larger than 6" x 6" and are available in 4 different kayak colors and 3 different colors of water. 4 are shown here as an example of what they look like framed. The full range of options are available to be seen in previous posts, aranged by color of the kayak.

Each cost only $60
red kayak
orange kayak
yellow kayak
blue kayak


Kayaker Prints

quantities are VERY LIMITED on each of these because of the exceptional variety of options available. If you like one of these, it would be best to jump on it as soon as possible.


Red Wave Cycle
This matted image is 10" x 10" and the frame measures a bit over 19" x 19".
I really enjoy this one. It's the first one I hung up in my place. It reminds me of the cyclical movement of waves. It's a movement that sometimes throws us around for a wild ride, and at other times we can move and flow with for a more gentle experience.
This image has four times the printed surface as the others, and is over four times the size when framed. Shipping can be FREE in the U.S. but only if we can keep a reasonable price of
$125.
There are only 5 of these made and there will be 5 made with the blue on blue color scheme before I stop making them. (1 of the red colored ones is already spoken for)

Now, I'll have to take this post down at the end of the month so that I can keep selling these outside of the kayaking and surfing world. Order now if you think that you can, and would enjoy a piece of original art made by a fellow fan of fun of waves. Or, write down what you want and we can make a deal in the near future.

Feel free to email me

spbkayak@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

some inspiration

http://www.2imagine.net/blogger2007/pov.html

Monday, January 15, 2007

perfect circle

apparently there is a contest each you to see who can draw the most perfect circle
wow

my use of printmaking terminology

the world of printmaking can seem vague and mysterious to many people. What is a print? That's the easy part. It's just something that has been printed. So what makes prints different from each other? The printmaking techniques and the amount of prints actually made are the major considerations. Here are some that I use.

ETCHING is a process in which something "bites" into a plate to create small pockets (usually lines) in which printing ink is placed. Usually this is done with some kind of acid on a metal plate. The plate goes through an inking process, then run through a press to actually press the ink onto a piece of paper.

AQUATINT is a special etching process in which rosin is melted onto the metal plate to create an acid resistent layer. Since the rosin is spread across the plate like dust, the acid burns into the metal (in the spaces between the tiny flecks of melted rosin) with a grainy effect. This allows the printmaker to create field of a tone instead of just lines.

BLOCK PRINT is a print made from a block of wood, linoleum, styrofoam, or any substance that can be carved/cut and have ink applied to it for printing. The ink, in this case, is spread on top of the surface (and not allowed to get into the carved out sections) before being either run through a press with paper. A more traditional method of printing with a block is to just lay the paper on top of the printed block and rub the paper by hand to make sure the ink is evenly transferred to the paper.

EDITION a group of prints from the same plate/block (or set of plates/blocks) that make the same image

OPEN EDITION is an edition that has an undetermined number of prints in it. In theory, an printmaker could make prints in an open edition until the printing block/plate is worn out. In actual practice is usually means that an artist will make prints until he/she is tired of making them or the public demand diminishes. Sometimes blocks do break, and there is a very limited life span for metal plates.

CLOSED or LIMITED EDITION is an edition in which a limited number of prints are made. An artist could make two prints, or two thousand, depending on the durability of the plate/block and how much time the artist could invest in printing the same image. But, the edition is still "limited" to a certain number of prints and "closed" when that number is determined and printed. At that point the printing block/plate is either destroyed or modified in a way that more prints cannot be made with it.

IMAGE SIZE this is the size of the printed image. Often there is extra paper surrounding the image during the printmaking process which is not included in the size of the image. Often, prints are framed with the surrounding "extra" paper still in tact because it presents a pleasant border around the image. Usually the artist's signature is within this border so that it does not interfere with the image itself.
As an example, I have just printed a series of images of a wave,and the actual inked/printed part measures about 5 inches by 5 inches. It has been printed on 11 inch by 14 inch paper. The paper has been trimmed down to be 9 inches by 9 inches so that it can fit inside a square frame. When framed the 5 x 5 image is in the center of a 9 x 9 piece of paper. It leaves a nice 2 inch border around the printed image.

red wave (single and cycle)

this image is 5" x 5"

to some, the red and orange are calming sunset/sunrise, while to others the bright colors evoke a high arousal state of exitement and energy


and this one is 10" x 10"

this is a "cycle" of waves. It's the same image printed four times, but you'll notice the slight differences in registration and inking on each of the four, just like you can look at the same break and see subltly different waves each time one rolls in
(it also reminds me of the tumbling motion found in a break)

ocean wave block prints

images are 5" x 5"




Sunday, January 14, 2007

a friend's Mexican surf trip

might not seem like art world to some, but it is an expression of living, which I, as an artist am also doing.
Check it out.

http://www.2imagine.net/blogger2007/mexico1.html

black and white kayak surfing block print

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

new block cut wave

here is an effort to experiment with the commercialization of what has become known as "extreme sports"; those sports which can be dangerous and often bring participants to a beautiful natural setting. With natural settings becoming less and less part of the human natural experience we have a tendency to commodify and package an experience in nature. The ages old concept of "man versus nature" still exists even though we have become the most successful species on this planet. "Ecotourism", as a word, evokes sentiments of conservation and living in harmony with nature. Ecotourism as a marketting scheme usually involves a "man versus nature" campaign designed to either pull at feelings of conquest or elicit the sensation that the tourist company has already tamed nature on your behalf.

What in the world does this have to do with waves?

How many people are drawn to the ocean or the river with the thought of waves?

How few actually venture into the waves?

How few of those, spend enough time to start understanding the nature of these natural phenomena?

(or this entire thing could just be that I like waves, but couldn't be on one right now, so I decided to embark on a creative meditation about waves. The nice thing is that there are now beautiful artifacts of that experience)

What do you think?