Spring forward, enthusiastically
Cardinal | Mixed media
June 2023 — Spring is in the air — let’s celebrate! In my Etsy shop this month, all subscribers (that’s YOU!) receive 20% off items featuring my botanical watercolors. Just use this link to order (discount is calculated at checkout). You’ll find greeting cards, wall art, apparel, and more. If you’re interested in one of the original paintings (framed, 16” x 20”), let me know by clicking the comments link below and I’ll be in touch. Thank you for being a subscriber.
Me? An artist?
People have been asking me if I’ve become a full-time ‘artist.’ I have a problem applying that description to myself. Many years ago I read Art As A Way by Frederick Franck, in which he wonders whether the label is becoming so ubiquitous that it’s lost its meaning. In the first few pages he wrote,
If the word “artist” is to retain any meaning at all, the minimum requirement to merit it should be the lifelong commitment to a craft, a discipline, as one’s central concern. For “artist” is an honorific: “Ah, that Leonardo, what an artist…!” To pin this honorific on oneself is a bit too pompous…
That struck a chord with me. I don’t have the credentials that Franck describes, I just want to make things; to draw, paint, write. Others can debate the artistic merit in my output, but no one can argue that I didn’t make the thing that’s right there in front of me.
Recently I ran across the trendy word, ‘multi-hyphenate,’ which actually describes me pretty well (except for the celebrity part). But calling myself a multi-hyphenate sounds even more pompous than artist! So for now, I guess I’m just a humble ‘painter-drawer-writer-speaker.’ If you want me to paint-draw-write-speak something especially for you, contact me.
Monoprinting progress
Bronze crops | monoprint
In the last newsletter I promised to report on monoprinting progress. I’m using a gel plate (have you used one these miraculous things?) and am learning about the differences in brands of paint, how to get a smooth surface, the length of time to leave paint on the plate before pulling the print, and more. I love the experimental qualities of the process — never quite sure what I’m going to get, and only so much I can control. The subtleties in texture and color can be absolutely gorgeous, and if they aren’t, more transparent layers can be printed on top or I can add other media like pastel or colored pencil.
There have been soooo many YouTube demos in between printing sessions… and guess what? I’ve made a demo of my own showing one simple print made from a gel plate. If you have a minute (literally, it’s 1 minute), please watch it here and tell me what you think in the comment section below the video.
In June 2023, I’ll be having an exhibition featuring monoprints at Theatre Salina called Landscapes in the Abstract.
Links on this newsletter may generate a small commission for me, at no additional cost to you.