I'm winding down on the framing for the 'Vamos a Grabar!' ('Let's Print!) show. I have all the Baren Print Exchange #30 in one corner of the living room and 2/3 of the rest patiently waiting the final pieces ... Opening day is June 1 and I still have to do signage and descriptions. Fortunately I don't have to do the catalog! I can't wait until all this is done and I can start creating again... my mind is aboil with ideas.
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Ya estoy terminando todos los marcos para la exhibicion 'Vamos a Grabar!'. Tengo todos los del Baren Intercambio de Grabados No. 30 a un lado de la sala de estar and 2/3 del resto esperando pacientamente para las piezas finales ... La apertura es el 1 de junio y todavia me hace faltan las descripciones. Afortunadamente no tengo responsibilidad para el catalogo! No puedo esperar hasta que todo esto esta por terminar y puedo crear de nuevo... tengo tantas ideas bailando por mi mente.

Monotype/monotipo, 'Bamboo' ('Bambu'), 4"x8" / 10cmx20cm

Another abstract piece done with Akua-Kolor inks for the summer exhibition at the Centro de Arte in Humacao, Puerto Rico. I'm busy framing the pieces today and hope to have them finished by Wednesday, when we have friends visiting from Washington state.

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Otra pieza hecha con tinta Akua-Kolor para la exhibicion del verano en el Centro de Arte de Humacao, Puerto Rico. Estoy ocupadisima enmarcando las piezas hoy y espero que las tenga terminadas para el miercoles, cuando tenemos visita un unos buen amigos del estado de Washington.

Monotype/monotipo, 'Montana' (5"x7" / 13cmx18cm).

I've been going through works for the exhibition and decided to include this one. Placing rice paper on a dirty inking area, then pulling the paper off, there were some delightful sepia shapes that needed a little enhancing with brushed-on Akua-Kolor inks. I then pasted the rice paper onto a 90# watercolor paper .. and that's that! An abstract!

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Revisando obras para la exhibicion, decidi incluir a esta. Poniendo una hoja de papel japonesa de arroz en el vidrio sucio que uso para la tinta, luego sacando el papel, asomaban unas formas color sepia que necesitaban un aumento con tintas Akua-Kolor aplicadas con un pincel. Entonces pegue el papel a otro de acuarela (90#) ... y ya! Un abstrato!

Finished!!! 'Crab', reduction woodcut (8"x6"), Yuhi Japanese paper with Akua-Kolor inks, edition of 13.

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Terminado!!! 'Crab' ('Cangrejo'), grabado de madera reduccion (20cmx15cm), papel japones Yuhi con tintas Akua-Kolor, edicion de 13.

Progress continues on the crab reduction woodcut. I’ve added a dinitro orange and then a fine detail of quinacridone magenta, both Akua-Kolor. (I love all the quinacridones, especially the gold.) I have to check to see how many actually survived the final fourth color. I think I have 15 acceptable prints.

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Hay mas progreso en el grabado de madera del cangrejo. Anadi una naranja dinitro y luego unos detalles de quinacridone magenta, ambos Akua-Kolor. (Me encantan todos los quinacridones, especialmente el oro o dicho ‘gold’.) Tengo que averiguar cuantos han sobrevivido el cuarto y final color. Creo que tenga 15 impresiones buenas.

A reduction woodcut print of a crab is about to debut. The wood is all-shina ply 6”x8” and I’m using Akua-Kolor ink with a touch of paste. So far I’ve gotten two colors down, a hansa yellow with an overlay of diarylide yellow. The light in the studio is now fading and our dinner chicken is almost ready, so I will continue tomorrow. I don’t do reductions frequently so am pleased that of 25 sheets of paper, I now have 24. Not too bad…

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Un grabado de madera estilo reduccion de un cangrejo esta por estrenarse. La madera es all-shina ply tamano 15cmx20cm y estoy usando tinta Akua-Kolor con un poquito de pegue. Hasta ahora tengo dos colores puestos, un amarillo hansa con amarillo diarylide encima. La luz en mi taller ya esta yendo y el pollo para nuestra cena esta casi al comerlo, entonces continuare manana. No hago reducciones con frecuencia por eso estoay satisfecha de que tengo todavia 24 hojas de un total de 25. No esta mal…

It seems I've been 'tagged' by my good printmaking friend, Ellen Shipley (http://pressing-issues.blogspot.com). Thanks, Ellen!

These are the tagging rules:

1. List 7 random facts/habits about yourself.
2. Choose another 7 bloggers to tag and list their names in your blog.
3. Leave your 7 tagged bloggers comments to notify them of their tagging and to direct them to your blog for tag instructions.

So here are random, little known facts about myself:

1. I'm the oldest of 9 children and, no, we are not Catholic. (My grandmother was a twin, my mother had two sets, and one sister has a set.)

2. When I was in junior high I wanted to be the first woman President of the United States; I have since acquired great wisdom and am happy to be a granny.

3. My first school experience was at a huge Mexico City school at the tender age of 3 (I don't remember anything so it must have been good).

4. I've traveled to and from Spain when I was 7, 11 and 15 ... via long freighter trips with various stops along the way... once at Cuban sugar cane fields, once at the Canary Islands (to bury the ship's captain and wait for a new one).

5. I can never remember a punchline in a joke so I'm always a great audience, which delights my husband.

6. I hate licorice and Brussel sprouts. Please don't give me your recipe! ... icky!

7. My math skills are abominable... but I am a nice person inspite of it.

And (drum roll, please)... as some of my friends have already been tagged... I'm going for new blood... and some very interesting artists that I have recently discovered:

1. Janey of Janey's Journal (http://janeysjourney.typepad.com/). Check out her drawings; they are fresh and simple with a lot of expression.

2. Amy Stoner's Fine Art Blog (http://amymstoner.blogspot.com/). Amy is a art dynamo. I've got a few of her prints and love them.

3. Sue Woollatt's From the Studio Window (http://studio-window.blogspot.com/). Sue has gotten back into her engraving and it's wonderful.

4. Jennifer Schmitt's Blue Notes - A Printmaking Sojourn (http://azuregrackle.com/blogs/). Jen is a relative newcomer to printmaking but she has us all excited about the Periodic Table project she started.

5. Tina Mammoser, London Artist (http://tina-m.blogspot.com/). Tina is a friend from Wet Canvas, a printmaker who has moved over to painting more, wonderful dreamy abstracts.

6. Kris Shanks' It's About the Art (http://shanksart.blogspot.com/). Kris is both a printmaker and painter and her wonderful pieces are always places I would like to inhabit.

7. Lynette Clay's Original Art (http://www.lynxes123.blogspot.com/). Lynnie is another Wet Canvas artist friend that does stunning trees that dance ... You need to check out her block to see what I mean.

Ayer fue el anochecer desde nuestro veranda, hoy tienen un ejemplo del premio del madrugador. Con la llegada de verano no veo la salida del sol con tanta frequencia... pero el cielo del Caribe es siempre una inspiracion.

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Yesterday it was the sunset from our porch, today is an example of the prize for the early bird. With summer's arrival I don't see the sunrise as often... but the Caribbean sky is always an inspiration.

Sunset from our porch is always spectacular. The house faces east toward the island of Culebra and the U.S. Virgin Islands, so we never see the sun actually set... but we almost always have a colorful light show on the clouds as the evening begins and the coquis begin their crazy chirping.

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La puesta del sol desde nuestra veranda es siempre espectacular. La casa esta orientada hacia el este con una vista de la isla de Culebra y las Islas Virgenes de los EEUU, entonces nunca vemos la puesta actual ... pero casi siempre tenemos un estreno maravilloso de colores y luces en las nubes mientras empieza la noche y los coquis cantan su serenata loca.

I played with a solar plate, applying ink as if it were a relief print. I pulled two prints with black ink. The first was almost completely black with tons of ink. The second was a grayer ghost impression, pulled without applying more ink.

Then, with Prismacolor pencils, I added color. With the darker one it came out looking like velvet... the colors with the darkest ink cried out 'Night' (5"x7"), monoprint with colored pencil.

The second ghost print said '... if you are Night, then my name is Day' (5"x7"), monoprint with pencil.

Both prints will be in my upcoming Humacao exhibition as examples of working experimentally in printmaking.

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Jugue con una placa solar (solar plate), anadiendo la tinta estilo de grabado relieve. Saque dos impresiones con tinta negra. La primera impresion era casi completamente negra con tanta tinta, la segunda era una impresion 'fantasma' ('ghost') que saque sin aplicar mas tinta.

Luego con lapices Prismacolor anadi colores. A la mas negra salio como terciopelo... los colores con lo oscuro debajo gritaba 'Noche' (13cmx18cm), monoprint con lapices.

La segunda decia '... si tu eres noche, pues yo me llamo 'Dia' (13cmx18cm), monoprint con lapices.

Ambos estaran en la exhibicion mia en Humacao como ejemplos de grabado experimental.

"VAMOS A GRABAR!" ("Let's Print!") is the title for my solo exhibition opening on June 1 at the Centro de Arte Lito Pena in Humacao, Puerto Rico. I am so excited because, after this morning's meeting with the Director, she approved my idea of having an educational exhibition rather than the usual artist's solo show. The show will be up through mid-August and all the children's summer schools and camps in the area will be invited.

Besides my art there will be my personal collection of the Baren Exchange #30, an exchange of 29 international printmakers. I also have two little rooms where there will be photos of the process. While I go through the planning of this event, I'll let you in on it here in my blog! Whew... so much to do!

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"VAMOS A GRABAR" es el titulo para mi exhibicion sola que abre el 1 de Junio en el Centro de Arte Lito Pena en Humacao, Puerto Rico. Estoy tan emocionada porque, despues de la reunion con la Directora, ella aprobo me idea de una exposicion educacional en vez de una exhibicion sola de artista, lo usual. El 'show' sera hasta la mitad de agosto y todos los ninos del area que asisten a las escuelas y campamientos de verano seran invitados.

Tendremos, ademas del arte mia, a mi colleccion personal de grabados de artistas de Baren (el Intercambio #30). Tambien tengo dos salas chiquititas para montar unas fotos del proceso. Mientras planeo este evento, contare mas aqui en el blog mio! Hay... tanto que hacer!