Happy New Year !

My Print: Banjo at Armageddon

The last two posts feature highlights from Pressing Matters VIII: Printmakers Group Show held at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center.  I made a new piece for the show titled Banjo at Armageddon. Here's a visual record of the making of the print.

First  I did a  sketchbook drawing

and reversed it....

                         I transferred this with carbon paper to a block.

                          I often re ink the image on the block.

           Next I used block printing carving tools and begin slowly cutting...

A closer look...

                             A completed block

Finished block compared to original sketchbook drawing

The on to printing. I inked the block and printed it by hand.

In this case, I decided to add a gray wash by hand.

This is the piece I put in the show.

Pressing Matters VIII:Printmaker's group Show Pt.II

As promised, here are a few more shots from the printmakers show exhibited in the Maurice Del Mue Galleries at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center.

                          Corina del Carmel "Long Journey" Lithography

              Fred L. Berensmeier's "Strolling Ostrich Echoing Ancestors"  Linocut

and Fred's "String Theory Meets Big Bear Teaching Story" Collagraph

                                        Al Ardelle's woodcut "Walt Whitman"

                       Gabriele Schwibach "Cypress Dream & Kelp" Aquatint etching

Sophia Larsen "Inner World" Lithograph & Monotype with hand working

                                       Elaine Nehm "Split in Time" Monotype

         Martha Cederstrom "Conspicuous Influence" Blockprint & Screenprint

Martha Cederstrom "7/16/15"  Drypoint

The artist Elly Simmon's mother, Sonia, did this etching, "The Card Players" in New York City in 1951

 Xander Weaver Scull's "Gray Wolf".  A Monoprint /Stencil. Xander makes his own homemade earth inks

Xander's "Humpback Whales" Monoprint/Stencil with watercolor

And Xander's "Green Sea Turtle"

Here's Elaine Penwell's poster for Feist at the Fillmore. Elaine is an incredible paper cut artist.

Janice Jahnke 's monoprint "Vases"

And Janice's "Balance"

Justus Evans of the San Quentin Prison Project. Here's his Linocut Reduction print "Days Ahead"

Also from the Prison Arts program are:

Frederick Tinsley's untitled Linocut

Gary Harrell's Linocut "Free Gary Harrell"

And "Look to the Future" a Linocut by Samuel Marquez

I'll go out the way I came in. The first print the Pressing Matters posting is by Katya McCulloch. So I''l end with her finely made Reduction Woodcut, "Osprey Tumbling"


This is most but not all of the Pressing Matters show. I couldn't get adequate photos so there's still a few pieces not featured. Thanks to all the artists who participated.

Pressing Matters VIII: Printmaker's Group Show

                               Katya McCulloch "Rim Fire Survey" Reduction woodcut

I put together about 10 to 12 art shows a year for the Maurice Del Mue Galleries at the San Geronimo valley Community Center.

Of those, my favorite is the Pressing Matters Printmakers Group Show.

When I first conceived of doing this show I hoped it would be a continuing exhibit, but nevertheless, I'm still a little taken aback to find myself celebrating the 8th annual.

This year’s show features etchings, woodcuts, linocuts, lithographs, letterpress, screen prints monoprints and monotypes. 

The lineup of participants includes Al Ardelle, Fred L. Berensmeier, Corina del Carmel, Martha Cederstrom, Danille Fogel, Dave Getz, Zachary Gilmour, Art Hazelwood, Janice Jahnke, Amos Klausner, Sophia Larsen, Katya McCulloch, Cindy Miracle, Barbara Morris, Elaine Nehm, Elaine Penwell, Larry Rippee, Gabriele Schwibach, Elly Simmons, Sonia Simmons, Rose Wulff Steiner, Xander Weaver Scull, Zoltron, me and Justus Evans, Samuel Marquez, Gary Harrell and Frederick Tinsley of the San Quentin Prison Arts Project.

Here are a few. (I hope to get more works up as I get reasonably good photos).

                             Daniell Fogel "Coyotes Challenge" Mixed media-block print 

   Cindy Miracle "Preguntas" Monoprint with 'image on' plate and Chine Colle

           Katya McCulloch "Acorn Woodpecker Sash" Reduction block woodcut

                               Marsha Cedestrom "Echo" Drypoint etching

                        Corina del Carmel "Puppeteer" Lithography

                                  Sophia Larsen "Counterpart" Lithograph

                               Corina del Carmel "Lonely Crowd"  Intaglio

                                         Zach Gilmour  Untitled  Monotype

      Gabriele Schwibach  "A Night Out"  Aquatint and watercolor

        Art Hazelwood "Pool" Relief print

                      Elly Simmons  "The Sounds of Night" Woodcut

                             Art Hazelwood "Soledad" Woodcut

Art Hazelwood "La Calavera Aurora: Un caso Doloroso" Linocut and Screenprint

                    Here's my "Banjo at Armageddon" Linocut with wash

                                    Elly Simmons  "Dragon Spiral"  Woodcut

                                    Amos Klausner "Listserv #4" Letterpress

Zoltron's  "A Little Golden Book: Queens of the Stone Age"  Silkscreen

Zoltron's  "A Little Golden Book: Primus"  Silkscreen

 Rose Wulff  Steiner "Mannequin in Athens" Photo-encaustic monoprint

And Rose's  "Billboard with Cherry" Photo-encaustic Monoprint

Cindy Miracle " San Michele" Monoprint with 'image on' plate and Chine Colle

Barbara Morris "Hummingbird Series #17" Monotype

Dave Getz "Dueling Daves" Monoprint-screenprint


These are just a few of the interesting and diverse pieces in the show.
My apologies to artists not represented. I may post more shots if I can get a few good ones.