Octopus garden on the ceiling!?

What does nature printing have to do with our Fantastic Garden?

I met master octopus printer Sharron Huffman through the Nature Printing Society, an energetic fish-and-leaf loving bunch. These people will literally grab anything off the floor, from the ocean, riverbeds and forests, then ink and print it!
The creations are absolutely marvelous, check them out here:
Nature Printing Society

Sharron Huffman is the resident master octopus-printer and she delights students in the yearly workshop by bringing seemingly larger and larger octopi to be ink and printed (and, for what I hear, sometimes eaten afterwards!). Yum.
Find her amazing work here:
Herring Cove Originals http://www.sharronhuffman.com

Anyhow, she bravely dove into the world of woodcuts and contributed an octopus to our Fantastic Garden.

"I put my garden on the slanted ceiling in my studio also. Thanks to sweet Harry who got way up on the stepladder while I prayed for his safety! Here's Harry - 2 attached jpg's - doing the installation, and another photo for how it looks in context. I was getting ready for an open house/studio, and it was so neat how it worked out: my Puzzle Print Octopus came to rest very near my Octopus Wall of Fame. :-)

Many thanks again for such a fun project."

Keep them coming! This is fun...

Framing the puzzle prints

Framing dilemmas

So how does an artist frame the monumental puzzle prints?
I have been framing the puzzle prints for our upcoming show at the Sahara West Library Art Gallery from March 13th to May 4th 2014 entitled In Perfect Harmony, courtesy of the Las Vegas/Clark County Library District. And I mean ALL the puzzle prints and ALL the puzzle blocks! Twenty eight delicious pieces in all, representing over 400 artists from all over the world. Amazing.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, framing dilemmas. First decision was to frame each panel separately in order to avoid having to pay dearly for huge unwieldy frames and huge unwieldy foam-board pieces and acrylic for backing and glazing.
Second decision was how to frame them. After exploring several possibilities such as borderless framing clips, wire corners (similar but home-made) and canvas frames. I purchased samples of each and found them not quite appropriate so I decided on simple line standard metal frames.
However I did not want a "border" interfering with the visual of the overall designs, so I explored the offerings in the Nielsen frames line and found a simple minimal metal frame in black, white, silver and German silver tones.
Again, I purchased one of each and placed the frames against the prints. The slightly off-white paper blended perfectly with the warm tones of the German silver frame!

Print on acid-free black foamboard backing
Nielsen German Silver frame ready to be assembled

Since there is no mat, I used a variation of the standard T-hinge
with the hinge folding over the backing board

Back of the board with linen-tape hinge being folded and adhered

Fast forward about 5 days here are all the prints all dressed up and ready for their outing. Next I tackle the blocks!

The very first puzzle print

14 prints ready to party!

This project is funded, in part, by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

What did you do with YOUR garden?

Sit Back and Enjoy!

Our own Sonia Jensen sent these pictures of the Fantastic Garden.
"I have a low slant ceiling in my studio.  Yesterday I pinned the Fantastic Garden prints side by side on the ceiling.  It is wonderful to glance up and remember the whole project."

 

Awesome!

 

What did you do with your puzzle?

Puzzle Prints about to get a SOLO

Quiet = Busy!

Usually when I'm away from my web updating for a while it means that I'm too busy to sit. This has been the case this year already!
I have been a busy bee applying for grants, venues, residencies and other wonderful things.

I think the busy work behind the scenes is something that isn't very well liked by artists but this "hat" is so necessary to complete the circle of creating art. Indeed "sharing" art is the one concept that is not taught in schools, not emphasized by many artists and sometimes looked down upon. But when an artist decides to make art "for a living", sharing that art becomes paramount. Whether through sales, exhibits, festivals, workshops or many other venues, in my opinion sharing art truly completes the artist.

But it is a whole lot of busy work!

Puzzle Print #1

Puzzle Prints get a SOLO!

The Great Cairn!

This is indeed very exciting. I have been publishing venues where our beloved puzzles have been shown around the globe and have been seeking a venue where our creations can shine. Persistence pays off and this year, I am proud to announce:

 

 

The Las Vegas - Clark County Library District will show our exhibit entitled In Perfect Harmony, at the Sahara West Library Art Gallery from March 13th to May 4th 2014.
The Sahara West Library used to be the Las Vegas Art Museum and the venue, in the heart of West Las Vegas, could not be better for showing art! Address is
9600 West Sahara Ave.
Las Vegas, Nevada
I am planning to frame all 14 panels from the original Puzzle Web, the Great Cairn, the City of the World and our latest Fantastic Garden. All together, with blocks by the side.

I have already ordered and received the frames and am in the process of dressing up our prints. Blocks will come next and some blogging and tooting along the way.

Grant Thank Yous

To help with expenses of framing and the opening bash, I received a Jackpot Grant from the Nevada Arts Council. Although many artists shy away from applying for grants and other available resources, I highly encourage the practice. Exhibits are expensive and often the venues don't yield a bunch of money for the artist, although the recognition gained is priceless.
Non-profit agencies channel available money from the National Endowment of the Arts and are thus able to help local artists with expenses and generally, encourage and aid artists in their professional development and career pursuits.
Thank you!

This project is funded, in part, by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.