Working Small

An exhibition of small works at The Arts Center 

I’ve chosen four wildly different pieces for this show, which opens November 20— a book, mezzotint print, stitching, and a drawing on canvas. They are all exploratory experiments, which is one reason they’re small.

Mezzotint “Blue Moon”, 4″ x 4″

Page from accordion book “Cyclops”

I’ve switched to less toxic media with these printmaking projects. The hand-bound book with intaglio print illustrations is my first collaborative project with author (and partner) Gregory Newell Smith.  It uses ferric chloride rather than nitric acid to etch the copper plates.  The mezzotint print also uses a copper plate as the printing matrix.  I switched to water-based inks from Akua (less toxic and easier clean up).  The color is built up by printing layer after layer of transparent ink.

Stitched and waxed print ” Amorphous #7″, 7″ x 3″

With Amorphous #7 I was looking for a way to attach a small print to a larger paper, using something besides glue. Stitches worked, and to a calligrapher, they looked like Neuland letterforms. With this piece, I’d stumbled into a way of combining image and text that was integral to the form.

Charcoal on canvas “Doug is Good”, 5″x 7″ x 2″

I’m currently working in the studio with charcoal on canvas.  This drawing, life-size though small, is an experiment with going frame-less.  A local artist, Jana Johnson, generously shared with me her method for frameless pastel drawings, building up layers of charcoal and PVA size on canvas.

Take a peek at the Undressing Room

I’m delivering a drawing to Portland’s Froelick Gallery this week for an exhibition of contemporary nudes, entitled Undressing Room. There are numerous receptions -I’ll be at the preview reception Wednesday, June 6, from 5 to 8-  and the show will be up for the June and July 1st Thursday events.

Click on the Undressing Room link above to see more work from the show, or visit the Froelick facebook page. The gallery is in Portland’s Pearl District, 714 NW Davis St. Tuesday – Saturday, 10:30-5:30.

Ch-ch-ch-changes in Charcoal

Untitled (Crowd)

We’ve been busy here at Black Thumb Studio, just like Santa’s workshop, trying to make that December deadline.  I’ll be delivering and installing 20 drawings at Columbia Basin College in a show of Drawings and Ceramics that opens January 9, 2012. Sculptor Carolyn Nelson and I will show at the CBC’s Esvelt Gallery through February 2, and we’ll both be on hand at the opening reception January 10th, 7 pm.  Come join us if you’re in the Tri-cities area.

Crowd drawing, early stage

This drawing of a crowd has an obvious compositional problem -a bit busy on the right side – but I resisted the need to make dramatic changes to this drawing.  I liked the hint of landscape and quiet pastoral setting.  Why can’t this crowd just live here, happily shoved up against the right edge of the paper, absorbed in something that’s happening beyond the left edge?

Sometimes you can’t have what you want… after six months of unsatisfactory solutions, I transplanted them to the city and they’re much happier now, though they may need a new title.

My Summer Residency

Untitled drawing, in progress

Black Thumb Art Studio will be operating out of The Arts Center in July for a month long residency called Artists @ Work.  I’ll join three other artists in turning the main gallery space into an open studio where we will pursue our individual work and interact with the public.

I’m working on a series of drawings that investigates group dynamics and the subject/object dichotomy with drawings based on overheard conversations. There are two public components to this work, and I’m soliciting your help:

Sketchbook gesture for drawing above

Photo references – I’m looking for a variety of bodies to use as references for the drawings. Come by the Center and I’ll shoot your pic.

Eavesdropping – what odd, funny, crazy … bit of conversation have you overheard, unintentionally of course?

Artists @ Work • The Arts Center • 700 SW Madison Ave • Corvallis, OR • 12-5 Tue-Sat • 541-754-1551