Something About Nothing

 The Utah Division of Arts and Museums Creative Aging Program in collaboration with South Salt Lake City Arts Council and Saltgrass Printmakers offered a Collograph Printmaking Class to people 55 and older. The class was being taught by one of my favorite printmakers, Stefanie Dykes , so I signed up immediately. It was six weeks of joyful making that flew by. We ended the class with a show at the Columbus center in South Salt Lake City. Stefanie Dykes Hi! It's me! Collograph is a process of printmaking where a textured plate is inked up and put through a printing press.  One of my first plates, created with paper and tape. It was inspired by the painting below. The bumpy packing paper I used for the circles. It came in a package my daughter-in-law received. My first print on a piece of shibori dyed raw silk I carved a stamp of hands sewing for my piece. I applied dry wall paste to a piece of book board and then pressed the stamp in to the paste. It held the image perfectly. I...

 My 100 days of Watercolor are complete. It's been a great learning experience and I know I need to learn a lot more in the future, but for now, this is done. Now I have a few other projects I need to get done within the next couple of weeks. More about that later. Here are the final pieces for my 100 day challenge. 90-98 I wanted to try faces from the very beginning of this challenge, but was a bit scared. I finally dipped my foot in by watercoloring one of the carved faces I created awhile ago. Then I worked up the courage to draw, and trace some faces and watercolor those.  99 The photo of this face actually had more detail in the shaded side but I went with an all out block out. I did play with the black a little and I can see some of the lines I made finishing the size of the head, and nose. I started painting him in "normal" caucasian skin coloring and felt like the tones were off, however once I went a little wild with the warm colors I felt the tones were right on...

Almost finished with this challenge!  64-72 73 - 80 - I think I counted wrong again! 81- 89 Did I say, I'm done yet? Because emotionally I am so done with this project. I just don't feel like I'm connecting and making good art any more. However, looking back at these thumbnails helps me to see they aren't as bad as I think. Just ten more days!

I should just forget about numbering the paintings because I can't count.  I get off track all the time. Ugh. Should be 37 - 45 but I forgot #44 so this is 37-43, and 45-46 And this is #44 that didn't make it to the grid. 47 - 55 56 - 63 because I counted 58 twice. I seriously can't count. Some of my watercolors take a lot of practice, and some are okay the first time around. Others I play with digitally to get an idea of what I should do with them. I have a lot more in my sketchbook than what I post. I usually only post what I like. I thought I'd share a few here on my blog, success and unsuccessful.  Sometimes it takes time for me to see any good in a painting. Giant lemons! lol Just playing I didn't trust myself to paint a hat on Mr. Sheep so I painted several on a separate page and digitally added it to his head for my instagram post. Practicing carnations Practicing bees and a hive.  Looks like a swarm. lol Playing with wax crayons, watercolor, and circles. Pra...