Watercolor: Chickadee on an Allium (and printmaking with gelli plates)

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watercolor of a chickadee
Carolina Chickadee on an Allium 10.75 x 4.25 Watercolor on Strathmore Bristol paper

Growing up in rural Connecticut tinted me with a fondness for black capped chickadees. I’ve painted them often, and I’m thinking about doing this image (above) in some sort of printmaking medium. A drypoint, inked in different colors a la poupee? A collagraph? A woodcut? What say you on this idea? Are you sick of my birds, or should I give it a whirl, and in which medium?

Printing from a slab of jello 🙂

I’ve never met Linda Germain, but I subscribe to her blog, and I often send links from her videos to my friends, so I thought I’d share her goodies here as well. She’s having another workshop in January (it’s an e-course, so you don’t have to be close by), so visit her web site for the details.  If you don’t have a press, and you’re interested in printmaking using a sheet of gelatin (yes, plain ol’ jello) – have a look at her youtube channel for some inspiration. Here is a snippet of one of her latest videos: (If you’re getting this post via rss or email, you can watch the video (and many others) here. It looks like a whole lotta fun to me!

Art Quote

January 30 1847 (Russia) Jamie [James McNeil Whistler, at age 12] was taken ill with a rheumatic attack soon after this, and I have had my hands full, for he has suffered much with pain and weariness, but he is gradually convalescing, and today he was able to walk across the floor; he has been allowed to amuse himself with his pencil, while I read to him; he has not taken a dose of medicine during the attack, but great care is necessary in his diet.
February 27, 1847 Never shall I cease to record with deep gratitude dear Jamie’s unmurmuring submission these last six weeks. He still cannot wear jacket of trousers, as all the blistering still continues on his chest. What a blessing is such a contended temper as his, so grateful for every kindness, and rarely complains. He is now enjoying a huge volume of Hogarth’s engravings, so famous in the Gallery of the Artists. We put the immense book on the bed, and draw the great easy chair close up, so he can feast upon it without fatigue. He said, while so engaged yesterday, ‘Oh, how I wish I were well; I want so to show these engravings to my drawing-master; it is not everyone who has a chance of seeing Hogarth’s own engravings of his originals.’ and then added, in his own happy way, ‘and if I had not been ill, mother, perhaps no one would have thought of showing them to me.’
From the 1911 book James McNeill Whistler – by Elizabeth Robbins Pennell & Joseph Pennell

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4 thoughts on “Watercolor: Chickadee on an Allium (and printmaking with gelli plates)”

  1. @kathleen – Thanks for visiting, and I’m glad you like the gelatin printmaking. I’m betting you’d make a gorgeous pile of prints if you took a workshop! 🙂

  2. Hi Belinda,
    I am enjoying seeing your latest artwork on your blog. Your “Chickadee on an Allium” watercolor is beautiful!

    The gelatin plate printmaking process is new to me and I really enjoyed seeing Linda Germain’s YouTube videos on the process. Looks like a lot of fun!

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