Yet Another Mediocre Watercolor


Somewhat overworked. Didn't really scan in all that well -- paper is that warm off-white stuff that never seems to scan correctly, so tried to "fix" the warmth in ps, went too far the other direction, etc. So you'll have to imagine something a little in between white and this not-right yellowish color.

Regardless, once again I have no idea how people paint in watercolor and get any results other than a big brownish mess.

I know part of the trick is organization and clean water and rags, but carrying all that on my bike is tricky.

The color of those trees (a greenish/purplish alizarin crimson with a bit of cad red) has always been difficult to come up with, even in oils.

And of course, as always when painting outdoors, the light changes constantly.

Still trying to get back into all this. Is a good thing to start looking again, and not be in the house all the time.

Maybe I should get a pad of actual white paper. Might make things easier. But that would mean spending money, and we're just not doing that right now.

Labels: art, painting

- posted by Cynthia @ 4:19 PM | | | Link |

 
Messy Gillson Park Drawing


Back from bike ride to Gillson, brought charcoal and bigger pad of paper this time. Thought I'd draw the boats, but ended up doing the line of cars. Difficult (as always) since they kept moving. Have a few Franken-cars, parts of one plus parts of another that parked in its place.

I'm still very bad at drawing them, but something 11-year-old-boy geeky in me likes to keep trying. I have a 8 or 10 paintings of variants of this scene too. Really should collect all of them and post as a Gillson Park Series 2. And still have to redo the original set of 26, since the link no longer works. Work, work, work, when I'd much rather be out on the new bike getting a sunburn.

Labels: art

- posted by Cynthia @ 3:38 PM | | | Link |

 
So You Think You Can Paint?
Casting - Bravo TV Official Site

How do you go from struggling, emerging or even semi-established artist to selling a complete show for $198 million? It’s a big art world out there, but maybe this is one place to start!

Magical Elves (Peabody Award-winning Project Runway, Emmy Award-winning Top Chef) and Sarah Jessica Parker (Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winner) and her production company, Pretty Matches, are teaming up for an hour-long creative competition series among aspiring contemporary artists who will create and compete to conquer the art world!

Good evening friends. Found this casting call in my inbox this evening. It is apparently genuine:

LOS ANGELES
Saturday, July 11 & Sunday, July 12, 10 AM – 2 PM
LAXART
www.laxart.org

MIAMI
Tuesday, July 14, 10 AM – 2 PM
Fredric Snitzer Gallery
www.Snitzer.com

CHICAGO
Thursday, July 16, 10 AM – 2 PM
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Sullivan Galleries, 33 S. State Street
www.saic.edu

NEW YORK
Saturday, July 18 & Sunday, July 19, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
White Columns
www.whitecolumns.org

Yes, we artists generally do sell out our shows for $198.

Oh, I forgot the "million" part.

Labels: art

- posted by Cynthia @ 9:26 PM | | | Link |

 
Update On Cow Chip Parade Painter
At Wilmette Public Library this am -- asked about the painting by Pat O'Hara I loved so much -- Friends of Library folks groaned and said, "You just missed him." Apparently he's a former advertising guy, who "invented" (their words) the Speedy Alka Seltzer character (can't find a credit for him on the Alka Seltzer site, but no surprise there). One of the members who had taken a class with him said he works very carefully, from many reference photos and drawings spread out all around.

If the library had a People's Choice award, his painting would have won it, according to them. A lesson for everyone: an even better (in their opinion) painting he did was rejected from the show last year.

A little about Speedy here. My original post is here.

Labels: art, painting

- posted by Cynthia @ 11:05 AM | | | Link |

 
A Different Kind of Courthouse Artist
A Different Kind of Courthouse Artist

Dr. Siffert, 90, a former chairman of the orthopedic surgery department at Mount Sinai Medical Center, is a self-taught artist and printmaker. He carves the woodcuts and, to make the prints, uses watercolor pigments rather than oil-based paints or inks. Some of his prints dance a tango of fiery colors; others are subdued.

“People ask me how come I’m doing woodcuts,” Dr. Siffert said. “I played around with drawings. I did linoleum. I didn’t like the medium. It’s too soft. It didn’t give me any sense of playback. The other thing is, as an orthopedic surgeon, the medium I work in is bone, and wood and bone are really very good for getting the results I want.”

Via Utrecht Twitter feed.

Good morning, friends. I know I've been saying I'm going out to paint any minute now, but truly, it's stifling out there. Also in here, but at least I have a couple of fans blowing on me at all times. In penance, will try to get a few more of the broken links on the side fixed.
f

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 10:00 AM | | | Link |

 
Pat O'Hara: Cow Chip Parade


This was my favorite painting in the latest Wilmette Public Library show. I've googled Pat O'Hara but can't find anything online. I really loved this painting -- it should have won a prize. Beautifully simple.

Yes, there really is a Cow Chip Parade (I found the site while searching for the artist). Check it out. Tons of loony fun.

Half of my family is from Kennebunkport, Maine and the big event of the summer used to be the Dump Parade -- floats made of junk ending up at the dump (family members lived right next door, so was convenient). Can find little online about it -- hasn't been around for ages, apparently.

Finally getting around to unloading my camera. More postings later.

Labels: art, painting

- posted by Cynthia @ 10:12 AM | | | Link |

 
Fixing Links Part xiv12a(sub 1a...3xx): Toegristle

Back in 2005, Corey Eiseman saw some of my works on paper and asked to include them in a massive, and still endless, collage series at what used to be called kollabor8. The stuff is (as if by magic) still there, starting with number 171 and running at least thru 177, at which point finding any trace becomes like one of those hidden object games.

So. A prize goes to anyone who can find a trace later than 177.

Link to the start of my stuff is here.

Labels: art

- posted by Cynthia @ 1:48 PM | | | Link |

 
Peter Jones Gallery Final Show Party
And yes, forgot about this:

Final Exhibition at Peter Jones Gallery.

I have a good painter/model friend who kept bugging me to come there and paint or show my work, but never got around to it.

Will wander down there before the Spudnik Party this evening and find out more, perhaps.

Labels: art

- posted by Cynthia @ 5:29 PM | | | Link |

 
Art Reminders
A whole bunch of them for this weekend (sorry to be so tardy about it all):

Spudnik Press benefit ("Silent Auction, Loud Event") on June 6th at Happy Dog Gallery. Yes, you will have the opportunity to bid on 3 of my robot prints.

Spudnik Press Fundraiser Party!
Celebrate & Support 2 years of printmaking
Saturday, June 6, 2009
6 pm - 1 am

6 - 10 pm: Silent Auction
10 - 1 am: Party (with DJ)
Door: Free!

Happy Dog Gallery
1542 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
------------------------------------------------------------

Simply Chicago (oddly enough, not in Chicago, tho close) has work from the Evanston Art Center Print Shop -- a lot of it, a lot of really good stuff. I saw some of it when I dropped off my pieces, and if you come by, you will be shocked at how good it is.

A lot of framed and unframed work, plus jewelry, cards, etc. Sorry to be so very late with this (the opening starts in 45 minutes, but it's up for a month).

Simply Chicago Art
1318 Oakton
Evanston IL 60202

1:00-5:00 Artist reception

Julian Cox
Mark Hudson
Diane Kast
Ausrine Kerr
Cynthia King
Grace Kroll
Jessica Q Lucas
Beth McKenna
Margaret Roche
Yvi Russell
Ann C Schmidt
Tery Veras
Joe Taylor

---------------------------------------
Finally, the Evanston Art Center Noyes Print Shop has its Spring Print show in the basement at the shop (I just found out about this, oddly enough, even though I'm apparently in it). It's this Sunday afternoon (I think) -- will update with actual hours. The show will be up for at least a month. Since I'm there every Friday morning, you can always drop by then to see the work. All unframed, pinned to the wall. I'll try to get more info to you soon.

Now I suppose I must get dressed.

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 12:09 PM | | | Link |

 
The Ultimate Woodcut


HT to Becca Case.

Am trying to find all you printmakers out there, but still fumbling around. Have posted a link to Inkteraction on the side**, and it's always worth doing a search on "printmaking" in Twitter. Am sure everyone is gathering somewhere I'm not, like Facebook or something. Maybe they're just doing actual work.

**Because of too much spam and weird stuff, Inkteraction is now by invitation only. If you don't know a printmaker who's a member, I don't know how you can join. Chicken/egg stuff.

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 2:47 PM | | | Link |

 
A Couple of Drawings
This is a little pencil drawing of the plants at the edge of a path in Gillson Park. You'll note the messy background -- I started putting in trees etc., but then erased them all out, just concentrating on the border. Not wonderful, but the first drawing I've done outdoors in quite some time.



And here's, oddly enough, a little watercolor. Clearly I'm not good at this kind of thing, though I like the red trees in the background and the spring-ey yellow-greens. The stalks in the foreground were supposed to be trees, but the lines got too wobbly.



For me, watercolor is incredibly difficult, since you need restraint and have only one shot to get it right (yes, I realize there are those who scrape out mistakes or mend with gouache, etc.). I am always fascinated that for some reason it's mostly done by amateurs these days. Clearly they know something I don't.

Labels: art

- posted by Cynthia @ 11:50 AM | | | Link |

 
Invasive Species -- Spring


Click on it for a bigger image. This is my submission for the PrintZero exchange. It's stone litho, intaglio, and stencil all on a relief background. If I'd had time, I might have thrown in silkscreen for the full monte. The background is really a little more yellowy-greenish than it may appear -- is done on cream BFK.

Am dying to see the submissions. The Iowa exchange postcards I got back were really great this time around, tho only one or two actually stuck to the theme -- feel ashamed of my hideous aquatint, so ashamed I may end up redoing it.

So, folks. When/where is the next exchange? I may be forced to work on Darkdevil County or paint if I can't find one.

Or go outside and groove on the amazing weather.

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 10:47 AM | | | Link |

 
PrintZero Studios Print Exchange Deadline Extended
... a little bit to May 23. So you may still have time.

More at the PrintZero Studios site.

Good afternoon, friends. Is 80 degrees, perfect, green, dry. Supposed to be 90 tomorrow. I may actually go and paint outdoors, tho would be gilding the lily. Is so perfectly beautiful -- tulips still crisp, lilacs bouncy, light still pouring through the canopy of trees near my house -- and uncut lawns everywhere. Think the grass suddenly grew so fast (and it was in the 40s over the weekend) that no one has cut yet. Or maybe they're conserving cash -- do I detect fewer lawn service trucks around?

If so, bad news for the lawn guys. Never a silver lining for some of us.

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 5:45 PM | | | Link |

 
Art Reminders
Trying to get back into stuff after being away is tough. Am glad I pushed and got the PrintZero stuff out the door before I left -- so unusual for me to get stuff done ahead of time.

So. Wilmette Public Library (I have a print in it) Friends of the Library juried show opens tomorrow, Friday, May 15 with a reception from 6 to 8 (I think). Directions are here. It runs through June 26. Don't know who the jurors were this year -- show depends on having good ones, obviously.

Evanston Art Center benefit is this Saturday, May 16. The center needs your help -- and you can buy one of the few left in my first edition of the Gnomish Hills print. All of the artwork from the show is online. Don't know if you can put in phone bids or not, but I imagine you can. Things generally move briskly at the live event, however. Mine has always sold for well above the minimum.

Finally, advance warning for the Spudnik Press benefit ("Silent Auction, Loud Event") on June 6th at Happy Dog Gallery. I will likely contribute a robot unless Angee tells me not to. Will post more as the info becomes available. It is going to be a huge, funnest event.

Spudnik Press Fundraiser Party!
Celebrate & Support 2 years of printmaking
Saturday, June 6, 2009
6 pm - 1 am

6 - 10 pm: Silent Auction
10 - 1 am: Party (with DJ)
Door: Free!

Happy Dog Gallery
1542 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 4:33 PM | | | Link |

 
Drained
Working on the edition of 15 for the PrintZero exchange -- doing a fairly complex print -- relief background with stencil overprinted with stone litho and a little plastic drypoint plate.

Knew, of course, I should have printed more backgrounds while I had the color already mixed. On the whole, the litho printing went well -- only one upside down image, one odd one where I must have stopped the press before the entire image was printed, two with odd smudges of the wrong color, and one with clumpy ink filled with fibers so that the ink stuck to the paper and then pulled the paper away.

Realize now I probably should have done the intaglio first, but I knew the litho would be faster, and I hoped I could get all done with it today.

Wrong.

Would still be in the print studio except on Sundays they kick you out early.

So will drink some wine, and start again tomorrow.

Tear paper. Match ink. Make background. Let it dry. Open stone. Print stone. Ink plate. Print plate.

Rinse and repeat...

God, hope not.

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 5:52 PM | | | Link |

 
Poor Planning
... has left me with one pair of oversized plaid pants and a t-shirt with "Paradise Island -- Nassau" and someone saying "oh shit" on it in tiny white letters as a shark gobbles him up. All else is in dryer, queued for washer, or in washer, so am sitting here sockless as well in ratty robe staring out at the lovely, non-snowing weather, biding my time.

All in the neighborhood have chosen today, Earth Day, to mow and chew and saw outdoors, so is deafening, even with windows still hermetically sealed against the winter winds (you can never be too careful in April).

Am anxious to sit outside and draw or paint, however. Possibly cows. Went last week to the Wagner Farm, first time in ever so long, and found the sights and smells calming.

The henhouse seemed so very familiar from visits to my great-aunt's farm in Massachusetts, where it was the duty of children to gather their own breakfast else go without. They didn't have running hot and cold water either, or a bathroom, just a kitchen pump and a gas stove with a "boiler". I remember being small enough to sit in the sink as the old woman scrubbed at me with a washcloth.

When visiting I slept in a bedroom with tiny pink roses on the wallpaper that always smelled like tiny pink roses that had died a long time ago, but never of the chamberpot that lived under the dressing table, since it was my duty to bring it downstairs every morning. In a drawer in this dressing table was an old diary that I remember trying to interpret, but never could. Too local, too adult, too cryptic, too much underlining, too many secret abbreviations.

At some point the pantry was converted to a bathroom, central heating was put in, and the chickens departed, leaving coops behind that disappeared by the visit the following year, my last. The great-aunt (and uncle) were gone.

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 11:39 AM | | | Link |

 
By Popular Demand

I give you Monster Imposter, the postcard. Click on it for a somewhat larger size. It's a jpg of an aquatint, so it's somewhat grainy, and the aquatint was shitty to start. This is not my best work, trust me. I may try the image again from scratch on a clean piece of zinc or copper. Even a drypoint on plastic would probably be better. And this is one of the proofs that didn't make it into the exchange edition (you'll note the bad wipe of the right hand edge).

Excuses, excuses...

Labels: art, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 1:54 PM | | | Link |

 
Monster Imposter
Finished it, with 20 minutes to spare before they kicked me out of the building: The evidence:



A good thing I always have my handy camera with me.

Here they are:



Infreekingcredible, if I do say so myself, tho maybe my color choices weren't the best. May use same image for another small edition. Had printed it with a double drop and in 2 colors, with different text as a sample, and really liked it, but for this exchange, was too difficult to do consistently in time I had available.

Of course, if I'd started work on it earlier...

The alert reader may note that the body of the monster (or the imposter) seems to be that of Kyle, a character from my Darkdevil County game -- and they would be correct. The head is that of another character you haven't seen yet named Galahad, who is indeed a monster, if you call a clone of bits and pieces of animals and people (plus some pinot noir) thrown in a monster.

One more project (plus taxes) to do, then will get back to the game. I mean it this time.

Labels: art, clones, Darkdevil County, etching, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 3:28 PM | | | Link |

 
Not the Best Printing Day Ever
Just saying...

Tried to rush thru a print for the Iowa State U. Postcard Print Exchange but it didn't work so hot TWICE.

First time, I put the ground on too thinly and it fell off halfway thru the line etch. This was bad, since I had polished the surface and cleaned it to a mirror shine. It was perfect. Did I mention that the line disappeared too? It did. Hideous. Not worth reworking.

Ok, so transferred the image again to the other side of the plate (we're talking copper) which had (I thought) a faint aquatint, nothing awful.

Wrong. Image ended up looking murky and ugly, but the line etch was ok (30 minutes -- should have gone longer, I think).

Ok, so now everyone in the shop said I should just burnish out stuff here and there. Once again, I rushed. Should have done the organized thing like I usually do (with the mockup, the timings marked on the mockup, etc. etc. -- all very anal).

Didn't, so burnished out the wrong parts. My monster's face looks more like a clown's face.

May have one more go at it tomorrow, see if I can do something to the background.

Or not. Don't have any images to post at the moment, but will fess up later.

Labels: art, etching, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 6:39 PM | | | Link |

 
SGC Exchange Prints: Gnomish Hills

"Gnomish Hills," by Cynthia King

Finally getting around to documenting the edition of 12 plus about 5 proofs and a few paper tests. One of the proofs is going to the Evanston Art Center benefit, so if you want one and didn't get it in your pack, that's the first place to look. (I'll do a second series of this plate at some point, as long as the aquatint holds up -- it's a zinc plate after all).

Here's the original mockup:



I reversed and rescaled the original drawing, printed it out, and worked out the tones with charcoal (yes, actual dirty-finger charcoal, not the computer stuff). For you non-printmakers, I had to reverse it, since you have to work with a reversed image on the etching plate itself.

It went in and out of the acid bath probably 6 times, stopping out at intervals from about 5 seconds to the final one (the doorways) about 4 minutes total.

For comparison, here's the original drawing as sucked into my Darkdevil County demo. (I'll probably go back into it with color at some point):



And here's the line etch. For some reason I added an extra mountain:



I copied the drawing at Kinkos and transfered it to the plate using a gum transfer, supplemented with graphite where the image was too light. All this manipulation skewed the image this way and that way a bit. Luckily, I'm not being graded on it.

Here it is at the show, top right on the 2nd display wall from the left (click to enlarge):



Here's the whole edition:



And what I looked like after finishing it. Oops, forgot the apron.

Labels: art, Darkdevil County, etching, printmaking, SGC, writing

- posted by Cynthia @ 10:39 AM | | | Link |