revivingKensArt (1 Viewer)

[Bigshent]

Personaly I think the second version is far above the first ,very lively indeed. I have read up on your lino's to see how the process works. Its even more impressive now

 

[solitaryVSong]

Still not done with the Hermit Thrush and Sandhill Cranes. But while I wait to decide how to finish it I've been working on a revived Solitary Sandpiper and Twelve-spotted Skimmer lino. Still in proofing stage. I can't do much while I wait for some new black ink to arrive in the mail.

I expect when I do the actual print that the ochre/gold will be first color, then a brown for sandpiper, dead stems and part of far background reeds and then finally black on top. But a lot can happen along the way.

 

[Lykos]

great works

 

[colonelboris]

Nice! How long does it take to make one of those?

 

[solitaryVSong]

Nice! How long does it take to make one of those?

Tony, I actually try to keep track of my time on my artwork for tax purposes. So hard as it might be to believe I've spent 14 hours on the Hermit Thrush lino so far and 21 hours on the second and third colors for the Skimmer/Sandpiper lino. Since I originally spent 12-15 hours on the black portion of it last year, when I intended just a one color lino, that's a total of about 35 hours.

I'm still thinking about what to do to finish them and print editions of each. So that will probably mean 15-18 hours for the thrush and a total of 38-40 for the Skimmer/Sandpiper.

BUT that's just me!! I think many people would do something like this in half the time or less especially if they did just one color and didn't print an edition. But it becomes a lot more complicated, and technical, once you decide to use more than one color.

And then once I've spent a fair amount of time on it I decide that I might as well try to make a somewhat large edition, in case they ever sell. So that adds time. If you just wanted to do a few prints and weren't worried about making them more or less identical for an edition I think a lot of time could be cut out.

For me I find it a medium that I'm comfortable with, even though I'm new to it and haven't ever studied it. I was reading Robert Gillmor's 'Cutting Away' the other day and among many quotable things he mentioned how it forced him to simplify. I like that aspect too. It lets my background in abstract art play a bigger part.

I'd encourage anyone to try it. Many printmakers are extremely technical. But printmaking doesn't have to be that way. And I think lino can be one of the easiest and most direct ways to make prints.

 

[solitaryVSong]

Finally finished an edition of Hermit Thrush and Sandhill Cranes from Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin seen about 4-5 years ago. This is an edition of 16. Black oil-based in on Rives Lightweight paper. The image itself is 6x9 inches and including borders is 9x12.

 

[Bigshent]

That would look blady good in a frame Ken :t:

 

[solitaryVSong]

That would look blady good in a frame Ken :t:

Thanks Paul. If I'd been thinking I would have taken a photo of it in a frame at the local coop art opening this afternoon.

I'm happy with it and most likely will submit it for this year's SWLA competition, speaking of which competitions to enter which was broached in another thread today.

 

[solitaryVSong]

Frustration with a couple of my web sites has led me to spending much time recently developing a new one that I hope will be both display and store. One nice thing about it is that I can use image galleries and show more work. It's about 50% done at this point. This is address:http://www.kjartcenter.com/.

Yesterday I finally got out for some field sketching. About this time each year a nearby small wetlands can attract herons, egrets, shorebirds and occasional rails. Yesterday's surprise was a Great Egret shown in many sketches below. Also Cedar Waxwings, Northern Rough-winged Swallow and Belted Kingfisher.

 

[solitaryVSong]

An exceedingly rare opportunity today. Not a bird but a bench! I'd guess that I stand for 99% of my field sketches. There's almost never a ready opportunity to sit and sketch. But today was it.

I did stand for the Green Heron with dragonfly catch, but the Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Kingbird and Cedar Waxwing were done as I sat comfortably and kept my scope on perches that they kept coming back to.

Most of the dragonflies were the strikingly patterned Twelve-spotted Skimmer. I think it and the heron might eventually get into more developed work.

 

[solitaryVSong]

A little side note on this. I actually saw two Eastern Kingbirds today - the one I drew and another seen as I was leaving about 50 yards away. It was at the top of a tree where I often see Eastern Kingbirds so I just assumed that's what it was.

However it did have a strong vest and seemed to have rust under the tail, both of which I'd never seen before. To remind myself to check this I added the vest to the earlier drawing of the kingbird. And I took a couple of photos, more for the rusty tail than the vest.

Later I decided to look through my guidebooks for the rusty tail. I never found it. But I did find a vest, one I surely should have known. The second bird was an Olive-sided Flycatcher not an Eastern Kiingbird. But I don't expect to see them in Philadelphia and I often do see Eastern Kingbirds in that very tree. The rust on tail must have been an optical illusion I guess.

But it just goes to show you shouldn't take anything for granted, AND you shouldn't go messing with field sketches of other birds!

 

[solitaryVSong]

A first attempt at a more developed work from the Green Heron eating a dragonfly. I decided to make it be the most prevalant, and bold, one, a Twelve-spotted Skimmer.

 

[RussB]

Hi Ken,
Been some months since I commented last. Good to see you still working in all this different media. Nice work with the sketches of the Green Heron and Flycatchers; some very nice lines here. Good bit of watercolour, too. This reminds me of a bird I twitched in the UK back in September 2001 - Messingham Sand Quarries, Lincs, to be precise!

Cheers

 

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks Russ. Here's a slightly tweaked version of that Green Heron with Skimmer. As I look at it on the studio wall I think that it may eventually become a linocut.

You may also recognize this visitor to our backyard yesterday morning. I believe this is the only warbler that we've ever seen in the yard though I think we do see one about once a year now.

When my wife yelled out that he was there I ran out with camera not sketchbook. I just knew that he'd only be there for a short time and that I wanted a photo. So this is from the photo. I could have tried a sketch but I just don't know how I would have gotten things like the shape of bill or placement of eyes. Unless the warbler sticks around it's always too much for me to comprehend in a brief glimpse. Maybe one day.

Finally a little watercolor turned to a pastel to try to salvage it. A migrant Ruby-throated Hummingbird seemingly guarding a Jewelweed patch.

 

[timwootton]

Superb. Apologies for the lack of comment - I keep looking and loving, just not typing. Your work is progressing like a steam train - exciting times . . .

 

[solitaryVSong]

Superb. Apologies for the lack of comment - I keep looking and loving, just not typing. Your work is progressing like a steam train - exciting times . . .

Thanks Tim. My view of my progress is a bit closer to the speed of a unicycle I'm afraid but there's just enough sense of progress to keep me enthused. As usual your watercolors in particular are a constant inspiration!

 

[ospreyscotbird]

Not been around much but had to say how much I love the lino's!! Never worked on diff boards for the same piece - really interesting. The thrush is brilliant.
My avatar is an ancient lino, keep meaning to get the tools out!!

 

[solitaryVSong]

Thanks OSB. Time to get your old lino tools out I think!

 

[Peewit]

Sounds good, Osprey

Old tools are just the job here, got to be sorted.

Regards
Kathy
x

 

[solitaryVSong]

One of a number of recent Solitary Sandpipers that I saw this week.