Good News, Bad News

My Mother was put on hospice two weeks ago. I flew to Arkansas to be with her, as did my brother, Walt, and niece, Susan. My cousin, Karyn, drove in from Kansas. We had been warned that she would go at anytime.  But what we feared would be a sad gathering turned out to be a priceless gift of time for all of us, including my stepfather, Bob. Mom rallied and we all sat around her bed talking, telling stories, laughing and being together.

My Mother with her granddaughter, Susan Stromquist

 Bob

 Walt and Karyn (and stranger) waiting for take-out at the popular King Kone, 

located up the street from my parents' home in Hot Springs.

 Anybody know what a "Pickle Fizz" is???? (We forgot to ask.)

I'm home again and in touch by phone. Mom is comfortable and happy and Bob is with her. We know it won't be long. Please send your best thoughts our way.

Blue Skies Smiling at Me

I swim daily at an outdoor pool. When I do the back stroke, I study the sky. Each day, the sky is always different.

In Remembrance

These are two from a series I created during the fall of 2001, in response to the tragedy on September 11th.

Cry (1), 2001

mixed media on paper

Cry (2), 2001

mixed media on paper

A Feast for the Eyes

The Moeller Fine Art Gallery in New York is currently hosting a terrific on-line show of woodcuts by Lyonel Feininger from his own collection. They are mostly small - not much larger than 2 x 4 inches. You can sign in (using the sign-in "woodcut" and password "feininger") to view twenty or so images at http://www.moellerfineart.com/ http://www.moellerfineart.com/ Take some time and treat yourself!

The Underbelly of the Printmaking World

I know it comes as a surprise, but the printmaking world is not all glamour. Here are some pictures taken in the middle of last night's busy class session. Things can get pretty messy. Amazingly, the rooms were spic and span by the end of the evening.

Cool Bunny

It's been HOT here, and the bunnies on campus are well aware. I like how the bunny in the foreground has adjusted to his patch of shade...

Can the Car Be A Tax Write Off?

Here is one author's way of publicizing his books...

Effective Use of Graphic Black and White

Antony Hare's illustration for the book review of Father of the Ghetto in today's NY Times is an excellent example of a composition contrasting black and white to great result.

More on Matthew Richardson

Artist Matthew Richardson, whose illustrations I highlighted in a post about collage (see that post here), checked in to say hello. Hi back, Matthew! And thanks for becoming a follower of my blog.

Matthew has started his own blog, which I think is terrific. In it, he keeps us informed about what he is doing (a great way to see how one artist does it successfully), shares creative thoughts and visuals, and talks up the creative acts of others. All very inspiring. Check out Matthew's blog, Kingdom of Rubble, and don't miss his post about a great video of PJ Harvey's Let England Shake, available here.

Sock Monkey Portraits

August was a very busy month of travel, syllabi preparation, and the beginning of the new semester on August 15th. But I still got in some great studio time and have a number of projects going. I've put those projects on hold for a bit, however, to do linoleum cuts. Some of my students are making linocuts and they've reminded me what a great printmaking process it is. Linocuts can produce prints with rich, strong graphic appeal and they can make an image with a profusion of patterning really sing.

I'm making a series of Sock Monkey Portraits, inspired by the collection of Ron Warren, photographed by Arne Svenson in a book published by Ideal World Books. I've been a sock monkey fan forever and their book is a favorite of mine. I'd been hoping to incorporate the spirit of this wonderful book in some sort of studio project and now I've found the way. Creating these portraits is darn fun.

In the photo above, I've just pulled a proof of "Buddy." Next, I'll let the proof instruct me on where to clarify or correct the image with more cuts on the lino plate.  The final prints will be black on white paper and I'll probably add some watercolor to enhance the image.

The Mystery of the Pickled Beets

I knew something blog-worthy would come along to get me back into it and this is it:

My friend, Cynthia, made pickled beets the other day. She had more than enough and offered a jar to me. (Oh boy! I LOVE pickled beets!) So, this morning Cynthia stopped by while I was out and left my jar on the front stoop. She called to say they were waiting for me there.

But they AREN'T there!

So, now you know the mystery of the Pickled Beets.

I'm calling Hercule Poirot.