At the El Yunque Rainforest last month I was able to cut my wood block for the Baren print exchange. It was a perfect way to demonstrate how woodcuts evolve, making the tourists realize just how complex a relief print can be, so unlike computer generated art today. When I return from my New Mexico stay, I'll be printing this using a lovely beige handmade paper with black ink and gold powder... very elegant for a change!

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El mes pasado en El Bosque Lluvial de El Yunque pude cortar la madera para el intercambio de grabados Baren. Fue el modo perfecto de demostrar como se hacen grabados, haciendo mas sabios a los turistas sobre la manera enrededada de un grabado en relieve, tan diferente del arte generado en la computadora hoy dia. Cuando regreso de mi estancia en Nuevo Mejico, sacare grabados usando un lindo papel hecho a mano color beige con tinta negra y polvo de oro... muy elegante para variar!

The monthly eBay Nibblefest Art Contest is on again. My entry this month is a rather unlovely 'Iguana' watercolor with an acrylic background... I guess it is properly a 'mixed media' piece. I don't expect many bidders, as this month's 'reptile' theme is not your average cup of tea. But he will go to an 'aficionado' of the cold blooded animal world who will happily give him a home.

Nibblefest rules are that each artist put up one piece which follows the theme ('reptile' this month) and be available for auction at the rock bottom starting price of 99 cents. Last month's piece went to a lovely person in Florida...

"Baby Leatherback" ~~ "Bebe Tinglar"
Linocut ~~ 2008
Size/Tamano: 4.5"x4" ~~ 12 cm x 10 cm

The Sierra Club is a sponsor of the Festival del Tinglar in Luquillo at the end of April. It is in celebration of the new ecological nature preserves along the northeast of Puerto Rico where the turtles hatch. Our group from the monthly El Yunque art exhibit will have a booth. I'm not sure art is really a hot seller at this event. There will be a parade (children in turtle costumes), food, and artisans. I wanted to have something for the children... so I came up with this little baby leatherback. In situations like this I have two prices. For adults, they pay full price. If they are accompanied by a child, they only pay $2.00. It always gets some smiles but they also buy.

Purchase here.

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El Sierra Club es patrocinador de la Festival del Tinglar en Luquillo los fines de abril. Se celebra la nueva reserva natural del corredor ecologico del noreste de Puerto Rico donde crian las tortugas. Nuestro grupo de la exhibicion de arte mensual en El Yunque tendra un puesto. No estoy seguro de que el arte sera en demanda en este evento. Habra un desfile (ninos vestidos de tortugas), comida, y artesanos. Queria tener algo para los ninos... por eso hize este tortuga bebe. En casos como estos tengo dos precios. Para los adultos, pagan el precio regular. Si estan acompanados de un nino, pagan solo $2.00. Siempre se rien pero tambien compran.

De venta aqui.

Dolls have never been my thing. The only doll I remember playing with when I was young was Bonny Braids, baby daughter of Dick Tracy and Tess Truehart, given to me by Santa. Most of the time I played outside with my friends.
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A mi nunca me gustaron mucho los munecos. De nina recuerdo jugando con solo uno, Bonny Braids, hijita de los caracteres Dick Tracy y Tess Truehart del Los Angeles Times dijujos dominicales, un regalo de Santa Claus. La mayoria del tiempo jugaba afuera con mis amigos.


So imagine my dilemma when I had to come up with a doll for a recent women's exhibition. How could I relate to this?
Then I recalled I loved drawing paper dolls, especially designing new clothes using crayons, pencils and scissors... and the creative juices started.
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Entonces pueden imaginar mi dilema cuando tenia que presentar un muneco para una exhibicion recien. Como pude relacionarme con esto? De repente recorde que me encantaba jugar con los munecos de papel, especialmente disenandoles ropa nueva con crayolas, lapices, y tijeras... y la creatividad empezo.


I am, after all, an artist who works with paper, I have ratty proofs all over the studio, and I tend to wear black a lot to hide my ink stains! So here you have my 'doll' for the doll exhibit at the annual Women's Show in Humacao, Puerto Rico.
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De todos modos soy una artista que trabaja con paper, tengo pruebas de grabados fallados por todo el estudio, y tiendo a llevar el negro mucho para esconder las manchas de tinta. Entonces, aqui tienen a mi 'muneco' para la Exhibicion Annual del Mujer en Humacao, Puerto Rico.

'The Griffin' ~~ 'El grifo'
Woodcut ~~ 2008 ~~ Grabado en madera
Edition/Edicion: 40
Size/Tamano: 5"x6.5" ~~ 12.5 cm x 16.5 cm
Ink/Tinta: Oil-based relief ~~ Oleo para relieve

This print was my entry in a recent 2008 international solstice print exchange, the theme being mythology. It's done with burnt umber ink on white rice paper and then dry gold pigment brushed small areas. This was applied right after pulling the print so the dry gold powder adhered nicely to the tacky ink.

Available here.

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Este grabado fue mi contribucion a un intercambio internacional de grabados del solsticio, el tema siendo mitologia. Fue hecho con una tinta umber bien oscuro en papel (arroz) blanco y entonces puse en ciertas partes un pigmento de oro en polvo con un pincel. Lo aplique inmediatamente despues de sacar el grabado para que el polvo adhere bien a la tinta viscosa.

De venta aqui.

'This Little Pig...' ~~ 'Este cerdito...'
Woodcut ~~ Grabado de madera
2008 ~~ Edition/Edicion: 100
Size/Tamano: 4.5" x4"~~12 cmX10 cm
Paper/Papel: Sumi rice paper
Ink/Tinta: Oil-based relief ~~ Tinta oleo para relieve

This image was created to celebrate the Chinese astrological Year of the Boar (or Pig) in 2007. I was charmed by this little pot-bellied pig and kept thinking of the Mother Goose rhyme mothers sing to their toddlers while enticing them to put on their shoes and socks, tickling their toes ...

This little pig went to market.
This little pig stayed home.
This little pig had roast beef.
This little pig had none.
And this little pig went
'whee, whee, whee' all the way home.

Available here.

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Este imagen fue creado para celebrar el ano astrologico chino del chancho (o cerdo) en 2007. Me encanto este cerdito y me hizo pensar en la rima de la famosa Mother Goose que las madres cantan a sus hijitos mientras ponen los calcetines y zapatos, cosquillando los dedos del pie ...

Este cerdito se fue al mercado.
Este cerdito se quedo en casa.
Este cerdito comio carne asado.
Este cerdito no tenia nada.
Y este cerdito se fue
'ui, ui, ui' todo el viaje a casa.

De venta aqui.

'A Western Chinese New Year'
Linocut ~~ Edition/Edicion: 50
9"x7" ~~ 23 cm x 18 cm

This print was made for a Wet Canvas printmaking exchange. The theme was the Chinese New Year. Being somewhat tired of the more traditional animals, I decided to make a print with a 'southwestern' flavor. Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything in the American Southwest that would work for 'monkey' so borrowed the Central American spider monkey. So the animals are: field mouse (rat), roadrunner (rooster), coyote (dog) javelina (pig), lizard (dragon), rattlesnake (snake), mustang (horse), bighorn sheep (sheep), spider monkey (monkey), longhorn bull (ox) puma (tiger), and jackrabbit (hare).

Available here.

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Este grabado fue hecho para un intercambio de grabados en Wet Canvas. El tema era el Ano Nuevo Chino. Un poco cansada de los animales mas tradicionales, decidi hacer mi grabado con sabor del sudoeste. Desgraciadamente no podia encontrar nada adecuado para 'mono' ... por eso use el mono arana centroamericano. Entonces los animales son: raton (rata), correcamino (gallo), coyote (perro), javelina (jabali), legarto (dragon), serpiente de cascabel (culebra), mustango (caballo), carnero (carnero), mono arana (mono), ganado longhorn (buey), puma (tigre), y liebre grande norteamericano (conejo).

De venta aqui.