GirlMeetsArt

I’ve been interested in linoleum block printing for quite some time, since getting some luscious books on printmaking techniques, including Printmaking + Mixed Media by Dorit Elisha.

Earlier this month, I took a weekend workshop in the technique with Penny Barringer of the Torpedo Factory Art League School. Despite what it may look like from these prints, I don’t have a drinking problem. The prints are an homage to two cocktail-loving girls, an inside joke with a dear friend. The cocktail glass is printed on Japanes mulberry paper; the crown, on Japanes paste paper I made many years ago at a Penland class.

Cheers!

I did this print in 2001. It was originally a black monotype, but at the request of a friend who liked the design but also loved color, I applied washes of water color to give it its “tropical” feel. Hence the title: Tropical shoes. It hangs proudly in my friend’s apartment.

Remember Melissa Bank’s book about falling in love, Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing? Well, my helpful advice book is A Girl’s Guide to Running and Screaming. Its advice is based on some oh-so-awful dating experiences, including the slobbery kisser and the one who heard voices promising him the formula for an AIDS cure.

I made 12 editions of this accordion book to share with classmates at Penland, and to put in the box of books our class auctioned to support Penland. Final bid: $1000.

This year, the creative urge hit me around the time I began considering what Christmas cards to send out this year. How could I combine some of the many techniques I’ve learned at workshops over the years? So I dug out some fabric I’d screenprinted, pulled out the embroidery stitches guide, and started working.

Thankfully, I only send out a few cards these days. Each one is unique. Half use those neat Italian paper clips as “ornaments.” Some include “snow.” Ho, ho, ho!

A few months ago, Polaroid sounded the death knell for its instant cameras. But thanks to John Reuter’s class at Penland a few summers ago, I got to play around with Polaroid transfers and emulsion transfers.

Using some pieces of my many collections of stuff—in this case, wind-up toys and blue glass bottles—I created and photographed some tableaus in Penland’s wooded grounds for some transfers. For the rest, I used existing slides of family and everyday objects. My ‘57 Chevy piece, and the work of others in the Penland class, can be seen at John’s website.