Musings

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The ‘Other’ Story

May 19, 2010 in Engravings, Musings, Printmaking, Prints | 3 comments

Sometimes I make a print or drawing with something specific in mind, like a character or action.  This print is an example of just that.  The original drawing was simply of the two squirrels… one reaching towards the heavens.  Redrawing the image on my woodblock revealed something else entirely as I had reasoned that the squirrel had to be standing on top of something.

All my work has a narrative streak and this one had in my head a narrative surrounding the squirrel at the top.  However, isn’t it always the way it is, that some person or story always seems to overshadow some other no less important story or character or idea.  In many ways I had placed myself in the character of the squirrel.  After all, art-making certainly centers around the artist and like it or not, I’m not immune to the narcissistic inclinations most artists have (or maybe it is just me).  The other story, the untold story is the impact that those seemingly unknown characters have on our lives.  The quieter side of our existence.  This is what I finally decided to honor with this print, though it’s certainly not to discredit the actions of the more active or ambitious.

It was quite a humbling experience really trying to place myself in the place of the stalwart musk ox.  I wanted him to be recognized.  I wanted to be recognized.  What a strong desire we have to be known, credited and appreciated.  The reality is though that this rarely happens, and so there are two ways to go from there…and the musk ox is no different.

Outwardly, there are multiple characters in this print, but the more I view it I start to think that these are two important facets of one self.  Two parts of a whole.  For what is one without the other.

More than anything else though, this print is ‘thank you,’ and you know who you are.

Deer Tao

May 6, 2010 in Drawing, Musings | No comments

I’ve recently begun the practice of Tai Chi.  My wife Katherine had prompted  me to do something for myself and I had always had a fascination with the practice of it; the elegant lines performed by the completely controlled and balanced movements of the body.  A sort of physical fitness for myself aside from carrying my daughter and digging in the garden.  Suffice it to say, after practicing for nearly two months I have found the practice to be much more than I originally anticipated.  Not merely a physical exercise ,but an emotional and spiritual one as well.  The start of this practice corresponded with an invitation to a drawing show at the Greenhill Center for NC Art in Greensboro, NC (which will be in September).  I don’t do much drawing aside from very rough preliminary sketches for my prints, and sometimes not even that… the drawing is done directly on the block so it is lost completely in the carving.  Anyway, I was excited about the idea of making a drawing as a drawing, and as no surprise to me my experience of Tai Chi and rudimentary understanding of Tao has bubbled up into it, or perhaps for the fact it is in the forefront of my mind I place my own understanding upon the drawing, after all, I didn’t start it with that in mind… either way, here it is.

I’m sure to make it into a print eventually as well.  What do you think?  Wood Engraving or Color Moku Hanga print?

what does it mean, the world in a fox’s tail?

April 29, 2010 in Moku Hanga, Musings, Prints | No comments

foxtailIt always seems to happen that the pieces of art that I do off the cuff are the more popular of my works.  I get a lot of response from this particular print, which was actually done as a part of a workshop where I learned the Moku Hanga water color woodcut technique from master printers from japan. I ended up sending most of these proof prints as gifts to the men and women who ran the workshop.  The print was never actually finished and I had only printed 7 of them as proofs.  Now I plan to finish it up… It was never that far off from being done and living with it for awhile has allowed me to grow to like it as is.  But one must move on.  I’ll post a couple of progress shots of the printing process when I’m done printing the edition (by the end of May… my own mini celebration of spring)

a little crab

July 13, 2009 in Crab Book, Galleries, Musings | 1 comment

This book came from a wonderful collaboration with some folks at Bookworks in Asheville. It represents that duplicitous little voice in our head that speaks to our frustrations as well as our deeper loves, but the actual external expression is something altogether different…a little toned down…or hidden…and easily distracted.

crab4_image crab2_image crab3_image crab1_image

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Peace

July 8, 2009 in Moku Hanga, Musings, River Gallery, River Prints | 2 comments

peace

The making of this print from the book “river” was pretty different experience for me.  Using abstract colors and color combinations to attempt to convey one of the more abstract ideas from the book.  At first I had felt like this particular print was a failure but the more I look at it the more it grows on me.  When I first showed the book at the Flanders Gallery in Raleigh I was surprised at the response to this particular print.  It seemed to garner the most attention and was many people’s favorite from the book.  It comes from a part in the story where the river is about to finally take a rest from it’s constant flowing.  In essense, the river is actively instituting its own peace for itself at the expense of everything around it.  When I first conceived the story, this pivital moment I likened to those moments of selfish choice in our own lives and the consequences they lead to.  Now looking back it forces me to re-examine the notion of peace I’ve become accustomed to and perhaps most importantly how that idea is connected to all other things.

I promise to post the entire story in the near future…check back soon.

all the difference

May 25, 2007 in Musings | 1 comment

Last weekend, I spent with my wife, Katherine making art in Huntington West Virginia. We had gone so that she could take a workshop with printmaker Karen Kunc. (if you haven’t seen here work you should, it’s beautiful). It was a great experience for both of us, we met some fantastic people and spent the weekend at the Huntington Museum of Art. I initially went up for moral support and wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to work on my own work there, but I had brought my carving table (beautifully made by Karen Ernst) so that maybe I could work somewhere up there.
It turns out that the museum was very accommodating and they offered me a studio to work in, so I set up in the studio in front of this big bay window for the light. Inside were all the sounds of “insideness”, fans coming on and off at irregular intervals, the soft monotone buzz of lights, all the things you notice when you’re in a large room by yourself. Sitting in front of the window was like sitting in front of a magnifying glass and so I went outside to get some air and water. I immediately felt a cool, comfortable breeze, there was also the sound of birds and the rustling of trees. Faced with the option there was no question that I should move my whole carving set up outside. The interesting thing about the decision though was that I’m not sure I would have made the same decision had I been in a group of people. Perhaps I’m more sensitive than I thought to the views and opinions of others; that maybe I’d be viewed as some bohemian wanna be.
I set myself under a shade tree in the courtyard of the museum and worked there all weekend. Completely energized,focused patient and at peace. To be completely honest, I’d never done anything like that. Certainly I’d gone on drawing and painting expeditions outside before, but here I was outside working where I had no apparent need to be outside, as Robert Frost said… “and that has made all the difference“

Working different

May 21, 2007 in Musings

This has been a pretty busy few weeks for me. Last month I was invited to create a piece of art for the Poetry Foundation for the Ruth Lily Poetry Award. The time frame was very short for a three color woodcut but it turned out to be such a wonderful project and then there was the added bonus of being introduced to a new and excellent poet, Lucille Clifton. The award is a 100,000 dollar annual prize given to an american poet… I had no idea. The award ceremony is this week and I think they might be keeping the broadside I did under wraps so I’ll wait to post it.

Working on the project was very different from the way I normally approach doing my work, which is very open ended and flexible, whereby if I have an inclination to change something as i go along I can. I reflect on this because this exercise has gone a long way to help me understand the way I make art. Often times it is when you must work or behave differently you can intellectually understand what keeps you on the path you’re normally on because you view it from the outside. This is interesting to me but ultimately it is just an exercise for my brain. It’s the bliss of experience on the path I normally take (the one I am impelled to take), the one so comfortable that I’m not concerned with speed or direction, that is the most fulfilling.

there it goes. there he goes

May 2, 2007 in Musings | 1 comment

the engraving block for the print - "There it goes, there he goes."

the engraving block for the print - "There it goes, there he goes."

A new wood engraving for a good friend who was recently ordained. I wanted to post this picture because I love the look of the actual wood after it’s been cut and not too many people get to see it. I take these photos and they sit on my computer. I hope you like them. I’ll be posting these wood images periodically.