Linocut Printing
Or at least a first attempt using a Speedball Speedy-Carve block. I bought a $5 carving tool and a few blocks to give it a try.
Tag: art
Chickadee Claybord
Another 6”x6” Claybord using ink, this time a little more stylized.
Robin in Ink
I truly love winter, but during this cold snap, I suddenly remembered robins and crab apple blossoms and planting a garden and hanging clothes outside to dry. The next thing I knew, I was drawing this robin.
This may be the only time I’ve used this paper with any success. It’s a bamboo paper that seems to absorb water well and the colors are nice and bright, but the surface is soft so that I’ve never appreciated the rather dreamy effect until now.
Ironically, I based this painting off a photo I took a few years ago in November. I remember thinking I was seeing the last of the robins until spring. I used another photo of this same robin in another drawing, one of my favorites, I think.
Eastern Towhee
I grew up knowing this bird as a Rufus Sided Towhee, but now they’re known as two separate kinds, the Eastern and the Spotted. It’s a handsome bird no matter what its name. This is another ink on Claybord with some graphite and lots of scratchboard techniques.
I’m experimenting with finishing all my Claybords. I used three coats of Spectrafix Final Fixative on this one, which leaves dotted marks on the smooth surface. So, I’ve been using either Spectrafix Natural Glass or, on this one, Gamblin Cold Wax Medium as a varnish. Natural Glass leaves brush marks, no matter how carefully I apply it, so I’m trying wax as another alternative. I’m nervous about the cold wax, as I need to wait until it’s no longer tacky and then buff it. I’ll check it in a week. My ultimate goal is to be able to finish these Claybord panels without anything terribly toxic (although there are ample warnings on the wax) and then frame them without glass.