Print portfolio 2008 in process

My print for the 2008 Corcoran Print Portfolio is almost complete. As usual I start off my brainstorming process with dozens of sketches. Over and over again I try to work out my ideas, compositions, color studies, etc. I knew my print was about the disappearance of bees. This year's theme is You won't believe your eyes.
This years opening is going to be Friday February 15th, at the Civilian Art Projects. 7pm. It's always a great show and interesting to see how others interpret the theme. Last years show included prints about italian tales and onesies. Who knew? Hope you can make it.

planning for 2008

Here's a shot of myself with fellow painter and printer Paula Wachsstock. We spent new years eve working on these paintings. She's an amazing artist. I love working next to her, she's incredibly fearless and talented and it keeps me on my toes.

It's a white wonderland out there. The perfect weather to be inside my studio working and planning. Reviewing that list I love so much. (ahh the sheer joy of crossing things off) At this rate I will spend most of January planning for the year.

At the moment I'm preparing for the workshop I'm teaching in March. It's a monotype workshop at the National Museum of Women in the arts. For more information click here. I'm looking forward to it and have been brainstorming some new ideas with my studio mates for the class.

My first show of the year

Last weekend was the opening of the Connections show at the Printmakers gallery in the Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA. It was very well attended and we received some nice publicity in the Alexandria Gazette. Fabulous. While it's not a review in the New York Times it was still nice to see my work reproduced.

Please stop by the gallery and take a peek if you get a chance - the nine studio members each created a piece that's 7" x 49" long. It's a fabulous four hundred and forty one inch show that highlights everyones unique approach to print. I made a linoleum relief print that lays over an acrylic painting (in the photo) that I also adapted to a book. It's going to be an edition of 10... I've only completed one so far... and am wondering why I decided on ten and not two! It's going to take me some time to finish that edition but check out the gallery to see the first one. Titled to and from.

Now on to my next project which is my print for the 2008 Corcoran print portfolio. This years theme is you won't believe your eyes.

Happy New year 2008

Happy New year 2008. It's been another wild year around here filled to the brim with adventures. I'm amazed at what I was able to accomplish when I look back at what my goals were last January. From attending a two week artist residence at Shakerag to visiting Barcelona and having my artwork reviewed by a museum curator. (and that baby born in August), not to mention the heaps of new artwork I created in 2007. Last year I started off fresh by doing as many pieces as I could in three weeks - it turned out to be about 80. An exhausting but illuminating experience. At that time I realized how motivating that process was and considered doing it every year - now that it's January (and my son is taking a nap) I'm thinking every other year will be fine.

For me it's all about a plan. As my former boss said there's no line like a deadline. I need my loose list of goals to reach for every year to keep me on track. I just sat down last week to brainstormed my artistic goals for the year. It includes applying to another artist residency, developing and teaching new workshops (including one coming up at the National Museum of Women in March and two this fall in Oregon and Tennessee), applying to the Torpedo Factory again, finding a new gallery, a solo show, visiting MoMa, (or another Guggenheim if I can squeeze that in) and of course developing new work. I think this year there will be lots of painting, printing and book making - I'm currently working on a piece that combines all three... Check out the print inc. studio 325 in the Torpedo Factory this month...

Thank you to all my students from this past year. You have challenged me to keep my classes engaging and exciting and I've always come away impressed with how unique your pieces are. Here are a few shots from the workshop I taught last month at Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and National Portraiture Gallery. For more images click here.

Happy New Year - Cheers to your health and happiness!