Introduction
I really do like abstraction and hence I like the work of Wassily Kandinsky a lot. He is definitely one of my favorites. I am also influenced by many of the popular 20th century abstract expressionists like DeKooning, Johns and Rauschenberg.
Image on A Hill
This piece is a fantasy image of imaginary creatures. The four dark bear-like creatures in the background are a little scary. This is probably so for the three startled equines in the foreground seem to cry out and fall back in fear. It is a collagraph created with cut fabric and cut card stock. The assembly is coated with hard-drying mod-podge. Sharp tools such as those used in woodcuts were used to create lines and some of the patterns. All was inked, and printed on an intaglio press.
Image On A Hill Ascending
This is a collagraph created with cut paper and fabric and coated with a clear acrylic paint. Lines and patterns are made by cutting into the acrylic with woodcut tools. This theme is based on forest and farm storybook characters. These live exciting adventures in a fantasy land filled with danger. Yet an attitude of lightheartedness emerges in the foreground. Dark, bear-like creatures ascend upward, leaving a small herd of animals who flee their presence.
Mock Game Plan
This is a 12 by 12 collagraph printed on an intaglio press. This is an exploration of storybook characters claws and paws that add to the movement in the print. All these disjointed appendages create a particularly disturbing image. Yet these are somewhat whimsical in the way they are cut from construction paper and assembled in different directions. I also added alpha characters rubber-stamped to add texture.
Beach Babies
This is a 10 by 24 collagraph. A collagraph is a collage of cut paper, cardboards and string that is coated with a modge podge-type sealer, inked and printed on a traditional intaglio press. This arrangement of women in bathing attire is one I have shared with some who have had it framed for wall art in the bathroom!
Cactus Inn
A 12 by 18 black/white lithograph on buff rag paper was printed from the traditional lithography stone. This was inspired by some time I spent in Scottsdale, AZ. I had been working on several cactus-themed drawings which served as a springboard for this lithograph.
Cross Section After A Storm
I have always liked landscapes. This 30 by 24 collagraph was created to depict the early springtime. I used some lace scraps, embroidered rosettes, and netting from an old Easter bonnet to create the shapes.
Extra-Terrestrial
This is a small 12 by 8 color intaglio print done using the traditional copper plate. This is another exploration of dreamlike storybook characters dressed in strange wardrobe of patterned fur and stripes. Lots of repeat acid baths were needed to create the deep blues, reds and blacks.
Germination III
This is a 12 by 12 collagraph created with netting, fabric and cut paper. I also used some thick, gooey paint to create the blobs in relief. The blobs refused the ink whereas so much of the fabric and netting eagerly grabbed the ink and created very rich blacks in the print. I was learning about collagraphs!
Jackal’s Party
This is 12 by 12 lithograph done on an aluminum plate and printed on a yellow-buff paper. I was trying to evoke the same look in a lithograph as what I was getting in my collagraphs. These are more of the same strange storybook characters clothed in strange patterns, with strange smiles and funky paws.
Untitled Grid
This is a 12 by 18 lithograph pulled from a traditional lithography stone. Creating this image involves a lot of time drawing with a grease pencil. That is not a problem for me. All dedicated printmakers like to draw and draw in detail. This is a great advantage because some can easily become impatient with how long it may take to get the right image. I was taking a graphics class and using wooden baby blocks helped create this quilt-like effect.