Illustration Friday "Space"

IF "Space"

Enjoying the February vacation break from the classroom. I'm not doing anything too exciting this week, but I am getting a lot done around the house and in my studio. It's a treat to have time to myself and no strict agenda. I love my job, but I could definitely find enough to do if I were retired. That's a few years away, so for the present I'll enjoy these shorter respites!

Odiorne Point---NH Seacoast in winter

This could make a nice print.

Sunset Print

My latest print was inspired by a lovely sunset that I photographed on my phone while out walking in my town. This picture is a combination of four shots that I "stitched" together using an ap designed for panorama. I wanted to be able to carve out the silhouettes of the trees, stones, and hills, so I printed on a smooth black Strathmore acid-free drawing paper. I used a wide roller to create the blended background, then created the textures in the foreground by carving away some areas and printing only the bottom third of the block.

It's fun experimenting with different techniques and papers. The black paper worked ok for what I wanted, although it's hard to get the luminosity of the lighter colors. 

Twisted

Illustration Friday "twisted"

I plan on adding some watercolor to this piece, but I also like the black and white version.

Making the best of multiple snow days by working on projects. I also took some time to go snowshoeing on Saturday with one of my friends. We're getting out of school early tomorrow as there is another storm coming in the afternoon. The weather service is predicting anywhere from 4--8 inches.

I had a fun time the other day watching a very determined squirrel try to get seeds out of the squirrel-proof feeder. He kept falling off and coming back multiple times. In this picture, he looks a little irritated and ready to give me a scolding.

Prehistoric

Illustration Friday "prehistoric"

Expecting another snowstorm in our area tomorrow, possibly 6--12 inches of the heavy white stuff. It's been a brutal winter all over the country, and I know most people are pretty tired of it! Looking forward  to Spring!

New Projects

Printmaking class has started up again, so I'm working on a few new projects.

The sunset landscape is from a picture I took recently while out walking around town. The sky was so dramatic-looking with all the silhouettes of the trees, cemetery monuments, and hills. I'm going to be printing on black paper so I'm cutting out all the black areas now. 

I'm also working on a print of an iris. They bloom in my yard in early summer, and I love the colors. I'd like to do a few more flower prints and cards as spring approaches. I'm tired of the snow and freezing temperatures we've been having this winter, so in anticipation of warmer days, I'm going to focus on the blooms to come. 

Illustration Friday "exotic"

Illustration Friday "exotic"

It's been a snowy day here---about a foot of snow has fallen over the last 12 hours. The best part about the snow is that I had a day off from work. What a treat to sleep in a bit in the middle of the week! Also, a chance to catch up on my art projects and do some baking. I made a black bean and sweet potato chili, that's healthy and easy to put together. One more trip outside tonight to shovel up the last of the white stuff, and then it's off to bed to catch up on a little reading. That's pretty much a perfect day!