Merry Christmas and the end of 2020!

 As we approach the end of 2020, I hope that we are truly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in this  unprecedented year. We're still slogging through the pandemic, but feeling some optimism with the release of the vaccines. I am personally looking forward to being able to visit my mother, in person, in her nursing home. We had a couple outdoor, distanced visits, before the virus closed the door on physically present meeting-ups in September. Fortunately, the residents and staff will be getting their first shots in the next couple of weeks. That's definitely is something to be thankful for in 2021!

One of the pleasant activities that we are enjoying at my house, is watching and feeding the birds. The regulars are here (blue jays, cardinals, gold finches, juncoes, titmice, mourning doves, english sparrows, house finches, downy and hairy woodpeckers, red-breasted woodpeckers, Carolina wrens, nuthatches, starlings, and crows). The bluebirds we had earlier have returned, and we had a visit from a small flock of pine grosbeaks, which are uncommon to us.

Bluebirds love dried mealworms!

We had a heavy snowfall one week ago, but heavy rain and mild temperatures on Christmas day melted most of it. Fortunately, I had a chance to do a little snowshoeing on the coast of Maine before that.

The Bridle Path in Wells, Maine

                                                           

Buoy tree in Wells, Maine

Lobster trap tree in Cape Porpoise, Maine

The harbor in Wells, Maine

I finished up a new print last week of a cheery red cardinal. Some I made into cards, and others I printed on Rives Light paper. I'll be posting those in my Etsy shop in 8" x 10" white mats.

The finished prints of the chickadee, junco, and titmouse are also in my shop.

Now that Christmas is over, it's time to get back into my studio, and start working on something new.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year!

Little Bird Prints

 I've been working on some new projects in my studio this month. Currently, I am printing a series of three popular birds that are frequent visitors to the yard and feeders. I chose a black-capped chickadee, a tufted titmouse, and a slate-colored junco as my subjects. They have similar colors, and are about the same size in real life. I started with the chickadee print, then realized I should have worked on them all simultaneously, so the the color layers would be better matched. For the other two I'm doing it that way.

Above are the three plates lined up together.

These are the chickadee prints. I still have one more darker layer to add to this print.

Junco stage 1

Junco stage 2

Titmouse stage 2

I'm ready to add the red to the berries next. I'll use a small roller, and try to keep the ink only on the berries, as the red is hard to cover up if I inked the whole plate.

The foliage has been beautiful this Fall, and has lasted longer than usual, I think. The intense reds have faded away but the oranges and golds have been stunning! I can't resist taking pictures when I've been out walking around town.

With all the restrictions around Covid19, It is such a pleasure to get out and enjoy nature! 

Best wishes!

Jane

A Little Traveling, and the End of September

 I'm back from a five day trip to New Jersey with a few friends. We had to postpone our travels earlier in the year due to Covid, so masks and hand sanitizer in hand, we gave ourselves the go-ahead to venture out into the world again. We brought all our own food and drink, and had the most delicious meals in our lovely rental home! Rented bikes for quick access to local scenic areas, and social distanced on the beach. Lots of laughs as always, and an added appreciation of our over 40 year friendship.

Cape May lighthouse in the distance

A flock of mostly Black Skimmers mixed in with a few terns and gulls

       A Snowy Egret framed by foliage

Peaceful harbor

And the iconic lifesaving rowboat 

Now that I'm back home again, it's time to organize the studio, order new supplies and materials, and get working on the prints and other projects, I have on my agenda.

The final layer of ink is on the reduction block print, "Goffstown Brook." I carved out more of the background trees, and deepened the color value of the closer areas, for a little more sense of depth. The image is 8" x 10" and should be posted in my Etsy shop soon.

Can't believe it is going to be October 1st tomorrow! Time flies!

September Notes

 August sped by in a blur of hot, sunny days this year! With the pandemic still a concern, we stayed closer to home than usual, so the yard and garden got  a lot of tending.  I still haven't learned my lesson about growing tomatoes. For all the work, I never get much of a crop! The cherry tomatoes are my best producers, while the other ones kind of wilt away, and get rotten spots. We have a fabulous farmstand up the road, so in the future I should just buy what I need from them! Happily, I have better success with sunflowers and hydrangea.

In my new retired life, I'm enjoying the flexibility of setting my own schedule! So many projects to work on, and so many things to organize. I finished sanding and painting a couple old bureaus in an effort to revamp the guest room. 

My studio is a small space, and I am trying not to let art supplies, frames, and tools migrate into the rest of the house! Artists are notorious collectors of interesting, inspirational, and useful materials. I love old memorabilia and family history artifacts too. Fortunately my genealogy stuff fits into file cabinets, and is easier to keep in order.

            Doesn't everyone need pictures of their ancestors posing for the camera!

Here's to a new month of new adventures! Get out and enjoy the sunshine before the days get shorter!

Mid-summer Life

Despite a very warm July, I'm still trying to get some work done in my studio. Thank goodness for cooling fans! I love my view of the backyard as I work, and it's a quiet space, as my husband is still working from home. My cat Wiley, enjoys hanging out with me, even though she steals my swivel chair whenever I stand up.

I've been trying to finish up a few block prints that need to be completed before I move on to something else. I had some issues with the ink I used on the "boats" print. I used a combination of Akua and Daniel Smith inks, and it doesn't want to 100% dry. There is still some "stickiness" in areas, so I have to keep them hanging individually until that disappears.

For this print, I've used colored pencils to add a tint of color in areas. I figured I'd experiment as it needs something more for definition.

The "Winter Blues" design of bluebirds at my feeder, has also been challenging in terms of finding the right colors, and the way the various layers interact with each other. Warm and cool color tones can be tricky when placed on top of each other, as it can dull the intensity of the individual colors.

The newest print that I'm finishing is "Goffstown Brook". I started drawing out the design back in March, and didn't have much time while still doing remote learning to work on it. It's pretty much completed now, but I'm still contemplating adding one more layer to darken up the last layer.

In spite of the pandemic, I've had some enjoyable outings in local areas. I had a fun day at Sunapee State Park while trying out my new inflatable paddle board. While it's supposed to be a stand up board, I spent most of my time on my knees!

Hope everyone is staying well, and finding ways to enjoy the summer!

Summer vacation and beyond...

Summer has arrived, as well my retirement from the school district. I was an art teacher for over 35 years in a public high school. I know I'll miss the kids and my colleagues, but I'm ready to focus on my own art work, and other endeavors.

I had a nice spot on my porch to finish up the school year and our "remote learning."

                                Enjoying the views of the river that runs through my town.

Been thinking about getting a kayak after seeing all the paddlers enjoying the water!

A little more art....

You would think teaching from home would allow for more time to work on my printmaking projects, but I'm finding that it is more time-consuming than actually being in school. I have been trying to create new art lesson plans that can be done at home with limited supplies. It's been challenging, but we are in the home stretch now.

So....this is where I'm at with the "Goffstown Brook" print. I've carved the first layer, removing all the areas that I want to stay white. I've got the the pins and tabs and paper set to go. Now I just have to print the first color!

Here I am in my office/studio. I was making an example for one of my drawing classes, and had fun creating a line contour drawing of my space. Definitely dress code optional here!

Spring Break

Technically, this is my Spring Break---April Vacation, but it feels like Spring is actually taking a break itself, and leaving Winter to fill in. There are snowflakes in tonight's forecast, and it's damp and raw outside today! I'm always complaining about New England weather, but this really isn't a new  phenomenon. Every year, Spring drags it's feet, until one day, Summer takes over, and just like that, we're in shorts, tee shirts, and flip flops.

This year, as the pandemic creates havoc around the world, one has to appreciate the little things that can still be enjoyed. Watching the goldfinches turn the brightest yellow. digging in the various beds in the garden, and finding new growth amidst last Fall's withered stalks and leaves, are simple pleasures.
Getting out on the rail trail for long walks, and doing on-line yoga in the house, have been mental health refreshers. Discovering ways to stay in touch with friends and family through video chats, and wide apart hangouts in the back yard, have also been essential. Trying to focus on the positive, and expressing gratitude to the people who are on the frontline of this crisis, makes me realize that I have a lot to be thankful for!

As seen on my walks in April

As my school district has converted to "Remote Learning" (like most everyone else), I've been trying to teach art without the hand-on, face-to-face lessons that are the norm. Fortunately, there are so many resources available on line. I'm thankful for all the museums that are giving virtual tours, organizations that are conducting useful webinars, and art teachers themselves who are sharing ideas, support, and their own work. 

After assigning my Drawing classes a Landscape project, I did one of my own, using the picture above as inspiration.

It needs a few tweaks in the background, but mostly finished.

The next step for this drawing will be to convert it into an 8" x 10" reduction block print. I'm using tracing paper now, to define the image that will be transferred to the "soft-cut" block. 

This will be the project for the coming week. I'll try to get the next steps posted in a timely manner, so you can see the process. 

Stay Healthy!

Jane T

The Nest

I've been so neglectful of this site recently, but thought I might share a little print I made for the arrival of Spring. Little did I know this would be a spring like no other, but the birds don't know it, and they are going on with life as usual, even if we are not. Watching the birds is one of the activities that is still possible as I'm engaged in "remote learning." My students are in their homes, and I am in mine, but one can see out the window, or take a nice walk outdoors as a break from the computer.
I saw red-winged blackbirds and grackles for the first time today, and of course the regulars are still here. Lots of cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, titmouse, sparrows, nuthatches, crows, starlings, gold finches, woodpeckers, and mourning doves are enjoying the food we put out. Even a couple of raccoons were visiting the other morning.

First Layer

 


 Inking the block

the reveal of the last layer of ink

 The final print

Stay healthy! Get outside if you can, and enjoy the longer days and hopefully warmer temperatures!

xoxo