Sketch: Red Chair Porch

Save for later & Share!

Red Chair Porch 9×6 graphite & watercolor

When I arrived in California from New England, I lived in a 1950’s apartment about 30 minutes from Los Angeles. I was just beginning to ponder the notion of getting back into art-making, and I started sketching occasionally after work. This view (above) of my balcony was probably sketched in 1991. It took me another decade to get my goals aligned with my fingers, to prioritize art-making in my life. When did you decide to be an artist? How did you push art-making to the top of your list?

The winner of last week’s book giveaway is Bonnie Rinier! Congratulations, Bonnie, and thank you to everyone who shared their favorite art books. Almost all the books mentioned are also in my art library, and I loved discovering that I have overlapping tastes in books with all of you lovely online artist friends!

My studio organization is complete, and I found a spare copy of an excellent printmaking DVD to give away. Printmaker Catherine Kernan does amazing, innovative, large scale woodblocks & monoprints, inspired by the pattern and juxtaposition of chaos & symmetry in nature. This DVD, Between Ink & Paper, is 85 minutes full of inspiration,  and tips and tricks from her studio, as well as great working practices for anyone interested in using Akua inks & modifiers.  If you don’t win this DVD, I’d recommend adding it to your art library. When an artist has spent years teaching their craft, they get incredibly articulate from the repetition of process description, and this DVD is evidence that Catherine has been teaching for a long time. She is very, very good at what she creates, and how she describes her process.

Here are minute long samples from the DVD (if you don’t see them below, you can watch them here and here.) Search youtube for a few more teasers.

Check out the size of Catherine’s woodblocks in her studio (!)

Watch Catherine pull a full sheet of paper off a block after several layers of monoprint ink transfers.

If you’d like a chance to win this DVD, leave a comment (with your contact info if you don’t have a blogger account) and tell us the size & subject or inspiration for your next art project. I’ll draw names from a hat and post the winner on Tuesday, Oct 28th. Good luck!

Catherine Kernan’s Afterimage 3 (55×56 woodcut & monoprint)

 

Catherine inking a woodcut (image courtesy of Boston Public Library)

 

 

Art Quote
I’ve never done a perfect drawing. The cheapest camera installed at the gas station parking lot will collect a more accurate depiction that I can make. I think of Art like I think about baseball. Whether you win or lose – isn’t it great to be playing baseball?! Even the best players only get on base one third of the time. The reason we’re doing this is that as kids, we started drawing and felt happy. So now, we should still be happy doing it. The focus should be on the love of art-making. Joy is in the full deployment of our faculties.
Anthony Ryder ~ 2010 during a Drawing demo

Save for later & Share!

7 thoughts on “Sketch: Red Chair Porch”

  1. Hi Belinda,
    Great blog!
    Thanks for this opportunity to win my favorite artist dvd. Following Catherine for years/she is a real inspiration.
    I want to go big on my monotypes and the Fall colors here in Maine are what I am looking at in a larger abstract format to print. This Dvd has changed my outlook on trying larger and more adventurous printmaking…. Thank You.
    Ellen

  2. @lisekulien, Thanks for stopping in! If you don’t win the video, you can buy it from Amazon (there’s a link on this blog post) or you can order it from other online retailers like Dick Blick, Akua or Jerry’s, etc. Good luck!

  3. @paula – I’ve emailed Catherine about teaching a class in California, but I think I’d enjoy taking one in her studio – to watch her use all of her own tools and presses, etc. You’re fortunate to have worked with her, and I appreciate your visit and your confirmation that she is how I imagine her to be as a teacher. I hope you like the DVD. 🙂

  4. @jim, thanks for stopping by, and congratulations on your discovery of printmaking. I remember that excited and urgent curiosity about the medium, and I wish you well on your exploratory adventures!

  5. Catherine Kernan is one of my favorite artist. I would like to have the chance to take a course with her. But, living in Montreal, Quebec in Canada, I suppose she will not come near here so that I could travel by car to assist!

    I also am a printer, mainly monotypes but also relief, etching and collagraphy. My last solo and collective exhibition are posted on my Blog. I would love the win thw video, but if not, can you tell us where we can purchase it.

    Merci,

    Lise Julien
    http://lisejulienart.blogspot.ca/
    lisejul@yahoo.ca

  6. thanks for posting the info on Catherine’s DVD-I took a class from her many years ago in Santa Fe at Making Art Safely (she teaches there annually). SHe is what you say she is and more. The fact that many students who are accomplished professional artist come back year after year to take her classes speaks volumes as to what she has to offer.
    I do plan on purchasing her DVD thanks to you.

  7. This last weekend I visited the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands and fell in love with etching, collography, and printmaking. The people who I spoke with there were very generous with their time and knowledge on the subject. It really ignited a flame in me to purchase an etching press and give it a go. Since then I’ve been doing research, purchasing books, and gathering as much information as I can absorb.
    I’m really looking forward to exploring the variety of techniques that a press will open up for me.

    Best reagrds,
    Jim Neuner
    http://about.me/jimneuner

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *