"On the Rocks 2"-the finished print!

 I finished the finish layer of the "On the Rocks 2" block print this week. It was a complicated design, one in which I used a variety of stencils to mask out sections that I wanted to keep separate from the areas I was working on.

I'm pleased overall with the finished image! I wanted to get it done in time for the Members' Show at the Two Villages Art Society gallery in Contoocook, that opens later in May. Also I'll have it for sale in my Etsy Shop---JGTentas.

Looking forward to some warmer spring weather! It's been a bit chilly and rainy here in New England. Lots of daffodils blooming though, which is very cheerful! 

Happy weekend to all!

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

Rattlesnake Mt. Print

With a deadline of May 1st, I was happy to finish the "View from Rattlesnake Mountain" block print this week. I printed the last layers on Friday and Saturday, and framed it on Monday. This print and two others are going to be included in the Castle in the Clouds Exhibit, May through October in Moultonborough, NH. The show is called "Finding Place on Paper: Contemporary Poets and Printmakers of the Lakes Region and the White Mountains."

Here are a few recents steps in finishing this print.

                  The block and the print at this stage

Carving away

The final stage (I went back in and carved out my leaves in the darker area and printed the rocks a bit lighter for the remainder of the edition)

The finished print behind glass

Goffstown Stream Print

I've been working on this print for a month or so, in between other projects, the holidays, and my day job. I had done a smaller image of this same stream in black and white last year, but I wanted to do a larger one with more layers. This is a reduction block print, using only one easy cut block.

Transferring the image from tracing paper onto the block by placing the pencil sketch face down and rubbing the back with a wooden spoon.

                                                  

    

    

Wiley likes to hang out and watch me work

  

                  

 Carving out the white areas.    

                            

Cutting out more areas of the block

  This is the the third color, after layers of blue gray and light gray. I plan on adding one more dark color to complete the print.

Maine Coon Cat Print

I have been working on a commissioned print recently, and have almost finished it. There will be one more step to separate the cat from the couch's color and increase the contrast.

The sketch is transferred to the block

First layer 

                                                           More details in this layer

                                        Almost done! It's a very fluffy cat! The block is mostly carved away!

I used a soft-cut block, Rives Lightweight paper, Akua inks, and pins and tabs for accurate registration.

Finished a new print!

White Mountain Gorge, NH

I've been working on this print most of the summer! You can see by the finished plate below that there are a lot of different textures in this image. I've lost track of how many layers in all, but around seven or eight. Sometimes I had to print the same color multiple times to get it dark enough. This print was made using a "soft cut" block, which means I had to print all the layers by hand without using a printing press. The height and squishiness of the soft, flexible block makes it difficult to print with a press. If there is too much pressure on it, it can become distorted and stretched out.

Two more weeks of summer vacation before I have to go back to work. We are in the middle of 90 degree heat wave this week.  I'm trying to finish up loose ends before the new school year begins. I have signed up for a "print exchange" through the Sketchbook Project that is due by mid-September, as well as the Hopkinton Historical Society"s annual art show, which also has work due at that time. I'll put some photos up of my progress in a subsequent post. Stay cool!

Ball Jar Print

Now that Christmas is over, and I have a vacation from work this week, I can get organized with some of the projects that were put on the back burner! Over the last several days I've been working on a print that I started earlier in the fall. I finished the last layer today and am happy to be able to show it off.

The Ball Jar

This is the final state of the plate. I used an Soft-Cut block with layers of gray, light green, light blue, dark blue, and black. The paper is Rives Lightweight White, and the inks are Akua intaglio inks. I like those because they do not dry out while printing, and they clean easily with Dawn dishwashing detergent. The prints do take a few days to dry especially with multiple layers. These materials work well for me because I do not need to use a printing press, and I can print at home. The image size  of this design is 51/2" x 71/4". I'd like to do a series of prints using glass jars as themes. It was very challenging to try and create the illusion of transparency, but I'm pleased with the way the edition came out.

The state of the print before the dark blue and black layers were printed.

Happy New Year!

"Birches" in progress

I've been working on the "Birches" print for a few weeks, and am getting close to the last layer of ink. Here are a few images of my progress. I have a deadline of April 30th to get it in the mail for the Sketchbook Project Print Exchange. Good thing I have this week off from work!

This is hand-printed on black Canson paper with Akua inks using a "soft-cut" block.