End of the summer

I'm in the middle of several art projects, so will just post a few pictures of my very tall sunflowers that I grew this past summer. Alas, it is officially Autumn, and time to dismantle the gardens and prepare for the cooler seasons ahead.

The highest one was about 12' tall.

And of course I want to add a picture of Wiley, who joined the family in July. 

She's getting so big!

Enjoy the first weekend of Fall!

Gramma

I woke up thinking that today would be my grandmother's 107th birthday. She lived to be 100, and I'm so glad she got to read the children's book that I wrote about her and the Block Island bird lady, Miss Dickens.

Happy Birthday, Alice!

"old" friends

"Old" friends

Finally finishing an illustration for the latest Illustration Friday topic. I've been busy getting back into the school routine, moving daughter number two back to college, and framing some pieces for the annual Hopkinton Art Show.

It was an absolutely beautiful 3-day Labor Day weekend! My husband and I took on a big project--repainting the deck on the back of our house. It's one of those jobs no one really wants to tackle, but it was now or never, as one needs an extended time without rain. Anyway it looks great, and will hopefully stand up to the winter weather ahead!

Happy September!

Laughing Gulls Print

I signed up for a "print exchange" through the Sketchbook Project this summer. The directions were to make an edition of 11 prints for the exchange.  The paper size had to be 5" x 7" so the actual print will be smaller. One print will be kept for their library, and the rest will be sent to 10 other people involved in this project. I will also receive 10 random prints from all over the world. I've done one of these before, and it's exciting to see how other artists interpret the theme, which this time is "Greetings From A Distant Land". 

I used a vinyl-rubber "Gomuban"plate,  Akua Inks, and Rives Light paper for this image. I did not use a press this time (like I did for the lobster print), as I was home and wanted to see how the Gomuban plate printed by hand. Not bad.

Here is the finished print of Laughing Gulls.

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!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy 87th Birthday Dad!

"Grow" Illustration Friday

My idea for this week's Illustration Friday prompt---"Grow"

We've had our kitten "Wiley" for about 5 weeks, and she is really growing fast! The tiny little fluff ball is getting lean and long. She's not a lap cat yet, but she likes to be where people are hanging out. When I'm on my computer or working on a drawing, she's usually laying somewhere close by.

There were a few thunderstorms going through today, and the air is still very humid. We need the rain as it's been quite hot the past couple of weeks. They call these the "dog days" of summer, but it is all about keeping the cat cool here!