I'm B A C K!!

I know...scary, right?

Anyway, here is where things stand as of today and my series for this year.

I'm totally reworking the concept for Pecans so I've nothing to show yet. BUT....

Since I no longer belong to SAQA...I'm moving that series here to Free Spirit as well.  This has been one long time in coming series.  Trying to find the best bits to accomplish what I want to end up with has been a challenge but now all the parts are here and we are "off to the races"

A bit of history - Several years ago, Wil was visiting and wanted to see the decorative manhole covers in Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis.  OK....I had never even heard about them! But we found them. I had just done some work in lino printing and as soon as I saw these covers, I thought how cool they would be as lino prints. Found out who the artist is and she graciously gave me permission to use her work to translate it into lino prints for my own work.  Her name is Kate Burke. You can see the original manhole covers she created HERE.  They are all representative of something associated with Minnesota.

And here I am.....

This one is not completed as yet but I thought I would show you this stage in the process anyway. This one is entitled "The Hunter".  Wolves are a bit part of the ecology in Minnesota and I just happen to adore them. So I started with this one.
In a few days, I'll post the steps on how I got here to this point, but for today...this is where it is.

"The Hunter"

The concept is the manhole covers, cut out of the sidewalk where they reside. The final canvas will be larger (this is the only blank one I had handy - 18" X 18")

I'm so gratified to see it finally come together.  I'll catch you up and then keep you posted on the progress.  This "brick surrounded manhole cover" will be stitched onto canvas and then stretched onto the frame.

The next step is to decide what color/design/whatever to do the canvas so as to compliment but not distract from the cover.  I'm totally open to suggestions......HINT! HINT!

The Wolf Saga

So here we go.....

I decided to post the progress of one particular manhole cover so you could see the process.

1) Took a photo of the manhole cover and printed it out

2) Made a line drawing of the manhole cover. 

3) Using carbon paper, I then trace the line drawing onto the print block. One difficult part of this process to me is deciding what parts to recede and what parts to stand out. You can see marks in the photo in step 2 where I was working on just that question.  Below is my third attempt and I think I've got it like I want it this time.

4) Then I begin carving out the bits I don't want to print.  I've just begun on the wolf so you can see the comparison.

There is a lot of work ahead. The carving takes a while. One reason is because one can only carve for so long at one sitting without having to run off to the chiropractor immediately!

So I'm on my way.  I'll keep you posted!!

Hi! I'm Kelly

Great idea, Joss, the intro bit.  So, here goes.  (more will be posted in my bio shortly)

While I've enjoyed art all my life, after being rather rudely shot down by a teacher when I was in school, I quit even trying to "make" art.  So I came to this place at a later time in my life and I have found a "home".  I got started with textiles and that still makes up the major part of my work but I'm also a "junk junkie" and have little cubby boxes full of bits and things, found and rusted, etc.  These do find there way into my work more and more these days so things are tending to head in more of a mixed media direction lately..

I also love to try new and different things.  My motto:  "I wonder what would happen if....".  I'm a risk-taker by nature and that is very much a benefit with mixed media work. This is one of my most recent pieces. The title WAS Junk Junkie but since it is now being considered for an exhibit, I changed the name to Rust and Found.  I wove the rusted wire to hang the rusted bits on.  And the fabric is rusted and hand-dyed.

Now onto the upcoming year 2013.  I'm using this time as a means to complete a project started a couple of years ago that has been languishing for lack of motivation.  A few years ago I received permission from the original artist to use her work reinterpreted into my art style.  In downtown Minneapolis, we have 11 gorgeous manhole covers which she designed.  You can see all eleven of them at this link to her website:  http://katekburke.com/section/143737_Manhole_Covers.html

I am cutting the manhole covers into lino and then will be printing them onto fabric and working them then into textile on canvas wall hangings. I do have the fabric dyed and a couple covers cut in lino....and there is has ended so far. But now I'm accountable!!!  And excited to get it back in the works again.

So...that's me and my plan.  I'm looking forward to hearing from others!