Monday, January 9, 2017

Zea Mays flat file submission and tree trunk

 A busy week in Artlandia...

I finished the third and final new piece to submit to the Zea Mays flat file , then photographed, filled out the paperwork and shipped them to arrive just in time (thumbs up!)

T. Klacsmann, "Pride," mixed media collage, 30 x 22," 2017



Stoked how well the Superbia cigarette box turned out - it was weird after designing, printing, assembling
this to crush it to make it into "more naturalistic garbage," also, making the faux cigarettes and burning the tips, haha. 


 I also re-photographed "Greed": 
T. Klacsmann, "Greed," mixed media collage, 30 x 22," 2017

That was three big pieces in about 8 days (they mailed January 5th, and 2 of them are dated 2017, haha) so by the time I put everything in the post, I was about ready to collapse and spent a lot of the next day or two sleeping. Then it was time to clean - not surprisingly, the studio was a huge mess after the whirlwind of activity.

In cleaning the studio I took a look at the 'long term goals' board for 2016. While I feel like I did pretty well, there's one part that bothers me - tree. I made the Gothic Tree, which I like very much, but I feel like I haven't quite reached the life-scale I was picturing.  

So...I started, carved, and proofed a new 12 x 18" block.  This was a little atypical for me in that I free drew it directly on the block and went for it. There is no preparatory drawing and no specific source, (though I've photographed tree parts in the conservation area numerous times.)  Since it's not the first (or second, or third ;) ) time I've tried carving a tree, I decided I was ready, and it went surprisingly quickly.    

block with kitty paw for scale.
12 x 18" block


close up of block


proof
 Those individual parts at the sides are roots that are meant to be cut out and arranged around the trunk to show the roots surfacing from the ground. Different arrangements will help the one block be used for different trees, also the print can be cut down along the dark lines in the print to make it smaller, and individual roots can be cut off to further individualize the prints - so far so good, but it's like the wings in that it's a big, multiblock project, so a ways to go.

The feline assistants, helping in the way that only kitties can :p - I got up to pee, and when I came back
there was no pillow or space left for me in front of the block - hard to believe they got that settled in and comfortable within the five or so minutes I was gone, haha. I think I need a third carving pillow.