Dragonflies and Bonfires

I love this time of the year. There is something about the cold and quality of the light that makes everything take on a quiet, mystic beauty.

Last night we had a gathering at our house, and there was a beautiful moment when I was sitting by the fire (we had a sitting-room area set up outside and under a tarp due to the rain). A dragonfly landed on my friend's finger. It sat there, perched, illuminated by the light of the fire and by the shaded lamp we had set up. It was only there a moment and then landed inside the lamp. It stayed there for most of the night, staring at the light-bulb.

LINO LISCIOUS

As I've said time and time again, I really suck at this blog thing. Regardless, I'd like to show you some of the work that I've been doing recently.

I am back in California (sigh)... But I've been doing a lot of printmaking.

Bugs. Self-portraits. People with flowers growing out of their heads.

You know. The usual.

Anyhoo. I bet you're thinking; shut-up already and give me the photos! Reading hurts my brain!

BY THE WAY: http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html SO COOL.

So Terrible photos. I'll Try and get some better ones up. All of these are lino-cuts. The middle one is a lino-cut reduction.... really interesting and cool technique. Makes me want to throw a chair across the room when I am not in the mood to be patient... but that's okay.

Lots of love.

As promised... Here are some better photos of the Sculpture. I walked it all the way across Bologna!

The Paper Sculture with Legs

So usually I am a flat paper kind of gal. I do really well with graphic sort of designs... thinking of space inside a frame. My second year at university I took a course on sculpture. I wasn't so excited at the beginning, but after a bit I realized that I could challenge myself and use materials I loved but in a three dimensional way.

The first sculpture was a combination of the delicacy of tissue (sewing patterns) and how light/people affected the sculpture. I wanted the sculpture to move and undulate when people came into the room. I wanted to art to interact with the viewers.

I took this idea and rethought in Italy. I wanted something light and 'vulnerable' but also something with more or a form than my last sculpture (which was sort of jellyfish in construction).  SO. I built a frame. And then broke it. And built another frame... and broke it. AND FINALLY I built a frame from the top down that worked for me. So here are some process photos.

I took these shots at night. The really interesting part of the sculpture is the translucent quality it has when sunlight is shining through it. The cut-outs cast interesting shadows and the layered paper lets light through at different levels. So, I'll be putting up some more pictures in a few days.

A quick note about the legs: To get it to the studio in Bologna, I had to put it on my head and walk it through the streets. It was weird. But hey, I'm weird too.

I can kind-of smell the spring in the air...

Hello There. I am still in Bologna Italy, Still doing my thing at the accademia... Here are some reworks of pieces that I have already posted. The duchess and the Feather Man but in sepia and or course, acquatinted! Woo!  We just had a semester break so I am choosing new courses.... I am continuing with anatomia and hopefully printmaking. I do hope there is also time in my schedule for a jewelry design class! 

 Yes. So here is the Feather-haired guy in sepia. You can see the tonalities, his skin being the whitest, and the background the darkest. This is achieved by using clorofonia (Italian word, have a feeling it might by chlorophyll ) which you can melt onto the surface of the metal plate and then eat it away slowly to create varying textures/planes that distribute the ink differently.

The rest of these are just pages out of my sketchbook. Enjoy!

Some more prints...

I have been pretty wrapped up lately in my own Italian world... I love the Accademia and the freedom with which I can work. No assignments. No class hours. No deadlines. Just open studio time. And it turns out, this sort of organization works really well for me. These are my fourth and fifth prints... and I am so pleased. I love the process so much. Today I spent 7+ hours (straight) in the studio... and I turned these two prints into acquatinta prints (so that there are greyscale values). So much detail work. One is 4-tone and the other 3-tone. I didn't even realize I was hungry/tired until I walked out of the door of the studio... and then I stumbled to the nearest cafe' for an espresso... But I think that is how you can tell you really love something, when you are so wrapped up it it that hours pass like minutes and you forget to feed yourself. ;)

I am feeling really inspired by this band recently : 

.... and also by the Brothers' Grimm fairytales. I bought the collection in a bookstore for 3 euro and have been reading them before bed (let me tell you, my dreams have been a bit dark). Some of the imagery in their stories is so beautiful... I've been drawing a lot of foxes with children riding on their tails. 

I'll do an update soon with my acquatinta work. xox

New Prints!

Hello! I am here in Bologna, working at the academy! Here is a peak of some of my recent work in the print studio. The first (bottom) and second (top) "acquaforte" prints I have ever made. I really am in love with the process... you'll definitely be seeing more prints. Enjoy!