peek from the studio

So, this is the sort of thing I've been working on up at UCSC. Combining photoetching with monotype to create a series of images. That's Bob, my cat, having a snooze. She will float at the top of these images, alternately dreaming about cat things (you can just make out the fish) and being an overseeing benevolent presence against ominous announcements and other life struggles.

Last night I was there again, up till 1am sanding copper plates to shine in prep for more etching. I probably over-polished--toward the end I realized I was crouched over a cloud of copper dust, and drove home with a metallic taste in my mouth--but the kids have good music to listen to up there, so I was content.

As part of this class I'm auditing, I have access to the Cave, the art dept's name for their room full of computers, fancypants printers and high quality scanners. It doesn't see daylight. On the assumption that I'll only have access to it for the next 5 weeks, I find myself scheming about other small works I can haul up there to be scanned and made available for you-all to see.

Not today, though. It's raining buckets. So no cliffside strolls for me, either. Today is all about baking banana bread, framing my piece for the Pacific Grove Art Center show (Feb 23-April 5, reception Fri Feb 23 7-9pm--see you there!), and tidying up around here. Putter putter.

My friend 4ank sent me a copy of the Neverhood, a fun puzzle-solving computer game made in 1996 by Dreamworks Interactive--out of clay. It's a claymation game. Years ago when I visited 4ank in Washington he was noodling around with it, and it charmed me enough to be thinking about it 10 years later. So I imagine I'll be fooling around with that, too. I'm already stuck.

Pip

studio marathon

Lordy! Who's had time for cocktails & sunset, beach walks, blogging, cooking mad pots of soup or just chilling with my crabby old broad of a cat? Not me. It's been quite an exhilirating run of studio, studio, studio. I've forgotten what a time sink intaglio printing is-- when I know what I'm doing. This class I'm auditing, up at the university, in photographic etching? It's like playing that operation game, where you are loudly buzzed for the slightest gaffe with the tools. There are a bajillion wax-on, wax-off steps that go into making a workable print, and I've come home from the print shop in the wee hours several times the past couple weeks with a mere baby step's progress. Good ideas are coming out of the process, though, and my first critique went well. I'll see if I can get some prints scanned for you to see.

It's interesting how photography has popped up recently. It all started when my friend 4ank was visiting, and I mentioned polaroid tranfer prints to him. That's a process in which you get the image from a polaroid onto paper. It tends to soften the image and evoke a sense of memory. Purdy. He went home and researched it all up, and has sent me a wad of the good info, links & suggestions from practitioners. I'll compile it here for our mutual benefit.

Then there's this photo-etching class I'm eavesdropping on.

So I figure it's time I get a digital camera. For my birthday, Mom got me research & a kick-start check towards one. Thanks, Ma! And my brother suggested I honor my good eye for imagery by treating myself to a real good one. Any leads out there?

Then I meet this guy who, it turns out, is big big into photography, and has done the whole Open Studios & art fair thing with his work. He has view cameras, 120 & 220 film cameras, fancy-pants digital cameras, the works. We're trying out photoshooting together as part of a whole Artist's Way/creativity push thing. We'll see if that becomes a rewarding steady gig full of sparky collaboration, or another Santa Cruzish good intentions trail-off.

A couple months ago I thought I'd be spending the next months on wooodcut printing, but the Universe has spoken up. Good things come from listening, I hear.

Pip