Along with hopefully the other side. And maybe a few small art card and 4"x4" pieces. But carving this piece I realize that there is a good chance that it may be the last block that I carve in awhile. I just can't see myself actually finishing anything of size after this and hopefully the other side. This is an exciting piece for me because I have plans to play around with moku hanga finally! And while some people have told me my old blocks that have been used with oil based inks may work, I think it would be best to have something fresh to try. I finally bit the bullet and did it while ordering a presentation case for my smaller work on the Dick Blick website. I've heard that using Methyl Cellulose in hanga instead of rice paste may not be traditional, but it works well and is a lot easier to deal with since it isn't perishable. They had some and I got it. I also got some hanga appropriate papers that didn't break the bank. I won't start with the $20 a sheet hanga papers! Messing those up would hurt!
Of all the wonderful hanga artists I have come into contact with online through blogs and the Baren forum, Annie Bisset has inspired me to try it more than anybody else. I've really watched he grow with the process. Go from making very attractive work to amazing pieces in such a short time. There are others but she was the first hanga artist I discovered. What is it about me and Annies?
Yesterday was a great day for purging. My husband found a great home for the drafting table and chair that I wanted to get rid of. A guy he knows with three boys that all like to draw took it off our hands last night. Now I have a studio that feels so roomy, but like little relaxing by the window corner won't be mine for long once the Pack n Play comes. Baby goes there! But still, the Pack n Play is about half the size as the desk and hopefully it won't end up covered with clutter like the desk was most days! The shelves can stay but they are a bit of a mess and I need to go through them and clean them up, tossing stuff when necessary.
I'm really feeling lucky and happy to have this space right now. And to be able to have room to share it with the baby soon is very exciting. I give up that corner for her quite willingly.
Another purge was finding a new home for my old digital camera. It is kinda buggy that is why I replaced it, but it works plus this person's boyfriend may be able to work out its bugs. So it is on its way to NYC right now. I am all about getting rid of things! And I am typically such a pack rat!
Happy Wednesday to all! Hope you enjoy it. The weekend will be here before you know it. We have an all day class on the "childbirth experience" on Saturday so that should be interesting!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
the words "childbirth experience" scare me...you are the bravest woman in the world right now Marissa!!!!
xoxoxo
you are so organized! yay for purging things, my husband could learn a thing or two from you.
i'm so excited for you. baby will be here before you know it!!
Don't imagine for a second that I will be going drug free for the birth! That is going to be the first thing I ask for when I get to the hospital!
I don't feel brave, I don't really have much of a choice at this point! And when I have her sleeping in the bassinet part of the pack n play in the corner of my studio it will all be worth it.
*sigh* I think I just turned myself to mush with that thought.
I'm normally a total packrat. Pregnancy messes with ones brain big time!
yay for babies! Yay for purging! Yay for fun baby classes! :)
Did I ever tell you you were one of the first people I favourited on Etsy? Your work is gorgeous! I am sure your baby will match it. ;)
Purging is a great feeling. I have been working up to that. Unfortunately mixed media is synonymous with pack rat.
Putting the Pack and Play in the studio could open up a whole new world for your art! Really!
You've done so well to get so much done before blee arrives, especially not feeling so well. Amazing. Much happiness to your growing family.
One of your first hearts! Awww *beams* I'm not one of those people that lets hearts turn me crazy but I do love them! Thank you.
And thank you all. You guys are all fabulous.
I am really excited about sharing this space with the baby. It would be great if some of the creative energy from here rubbed off on her!
I went drug free for the first two and then almost 2 years ago today--I opted for drugs with the third child. The third child's labor had contractions like a train wreck--they steam rolled over me and I couldn't get a grip!
(too much info?) Thanks for visiting me today....
Hi Marissa,
What an exciting time in your life! And you're thinking of trying hanga too? Alright!!
So, cheap brushes. In addition to the Japanese "maru bake" I've used:
- shoe brushes. Purchased at Walmart and at old-style shoe stores. Not the really huge brushes for buffing shoes, but smaller ones. I'm not sure if they're for buffing or for applying shoe polish, but they say "horsehair." Have also used the little round shoe brushes that are used to apply polish - horsehair, not nylon.
- stencil brushes. Purchased at art supply store. They're flat-ended brushes used to daub ink through stencils on walls, furniture etc.
The shoe brushes shed at first, so you need to get them wet and scrub on a block for awhile to get past the shedding phase first (the price you pay for using cheap brushes!).
Good luck! -Annie
Had the saddle block with my son, it was worth it...though I was a little dopey through the birth itself, probably more from exhaustion than drugs.
What a lucky baby, she will have such a rich upbringing growing up in an art studio! I should know, my mother was an artist! So is my son's mother ;^)
Thanks for the hanga on the cheap tips Annie. I don't have a Walmart near me but I will look around. And stencil brushes should be easy to find.
I've always known that I am not a drug free birth kinda girl. I am too likely to freak out to even try. I have anxiety issues.
Post a Comment