First Finished Print

First Finished Print, originally uploaded by pejnolan.

Hot off the block... on goyu paper hand colored with watercolors. The reference photo was taken at the Quad City Botanical Gardens in Rock Island, Illinois. Now I need to name it.

Still working with it... I'm getting closer

Still working with it... I'm getting closer, originally uploaded by pejnolan.

I think that instead of making the different blocks, I will just hand color each print individually with watercolor. Doing otherwise is just too overwhelming right now. I used J's grade school watercolors on this trial piece, so the colors are way too vivid. Either way I need to get this wrapped up so I can print more for the Ellwood House Art Show. With this humidity , it is going to take longer than usual to dry.

Proposed-color-blocks

Proposed-color-blocks, originally uploaded by pejnolan.

After 4 hours of drawing and 14.5 hours of transfering and carvin...
I can't wait (as usual) so I scanned in the block and added the proposed colors digitally. I plan on blue, green, yellow and orange. This rendition looks more like a black velvet painting, but I'm hope when it is completed it will be as beautiful as I imagine. I'm hoping to have some finished for the Ellwood house show July 5th.

Stark & Nolan / Woodcut & Linocut: Booth #39

Stark & Nolan / Woodcut & Linocut: Booth #39, originally uploaded by pejnolan.

Well, I survived the Northern Illinois Art Show hosted by the Kishwaukee Valley Art League last weekend. It has taken until today to recoop.

The weather was just aweful Saturday, but we made it through. Sunday morning it looked like it was going to storm and we set up the tent in the rain, but by late morning the sky was just cloud covered and it ended up being a beautiful day.

There were several sales and a number commisions accepted. I met some great contacts like a writer for HandmadeNews.com which is an subsidary of Art Fire, a printmaking student from Kansas City, a painter whose work I've admired for about a year, a lady who had purchase original Japanese woodblock prints and brought them for Al to look at, and a person who is a freelance web-designer. All told, it was a success! Thank you to everyone who wished me well - you're good thoughts worked!

Caribou Coffee Art Show Booth

Caribou Coffee Art Show Booth, originally uploaded by pejnolan.

I think it is a pretty good presentation for a first time out. Behind us, a few spaces down was a dagger / knife seller... yikes! (photo courtesy of Al Stark)