June SALE

Only on Etsy-1000woodcuts

Link: Click the SALE, no coupons to remember, no minimum, no limit EVER!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/1000woodcuts

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Website: https://1000woodcuts.com 
1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

New job! Stocking the store front...

Uncertainty and survival

"May you live in uninteresting times" Chinese proverb

Ah yes indeed, by now you know that my entire spring and summer festival season is cancelled. This translates to no meaningful income for the near future and possibly beyond Labor Day as I got notice that a September show had been cancelled. Guess no miles on the truck this year!

So what to do? I have dog food money but connecting with my audience is sorely missed. As I wrote on my newsletter 1000 Woodcuts Updates (what? you don't get that? more on that in a sec):

Several web projects are coming along as I make my website easier to navigate and bring back the vast information section for printmakers. Teaching myself WordPress and working on organizing content so it can be uploaded once I get everything set up. Exciting brain work! (not really but why not do that in slow times).

Subscribe to 1000 Woodcuts Updates

So, just a suggestion but in the spirit of reconnecting with friends and collectors, I resuscitated my email newsletter: 1000 Woodcuts Updates. I have about 700+ subscribers collected one at a time through art festivals, gallery shows and other online venues. I send it out once a month (ish) or whenever there is something earth shattering that I just have to tell you. So if you want to, just send an email to: updates at 1000woodcuts.com with "subscribe" or "add me" in the subject line or body. Presto! Or click here: Subscribe to 1000 Woodcuts Updates

Stocking

Finally, my online "festival" is looking great! I am in the process of uploading framed works and finished carved blocks to my web shop and that super-boring task is almost done.
I also uploaded some out of print works and larger works as reproductions so people can pick their size and get some fine quality prints of works no longer available. More to come!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/1000woodcuts

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

Project Update #2: 100 Acts of Human Kindness

Past halfway point! I'm starting to doodle... Posted by Maria Arango Diener Feb 3, 2020 View on Kickstarter Thank you everyone! We now have over half of participants needed to make the project "a go"! Please keep sharing, especially directly through email, text or direct message, if you have some fellow artists that are on the fence. Remind them of the awesome group deals and how cool the final prints are. Did I just dangle a verb?! Sigh... Calendar of Events for everyone's info: January 26 2020 - PROJECT LAUNCH WOOOOSH! March 3 - Funding period ends February/March 2020 - Blocks designed and cut by me April 1 2020 - (at the latest) Single puzzle pieces mailed out September 30 2020 - PARTICIPANT DEADLINE to return carved puzzle pieces with information filled out October 2020 to January 2021 - I print assembled Kindness puzzle, photograph each image, gather info, send book to publish, send poster to printer...whew! February 2021 - 100 Acts of Kindness woodcut print, books, posters and postcards mailed out Anyhow, aside from that I am so convinced we are going to make it I started to doodle in my head about the final 4-panel work (maybe 5 if we have a rush-hour influx of artists!). This takes some thinking; the great City of the World was 5-panels side by side and it is the easiest to exhibit. On the other hand, the Peace Puzzle and the Fantastic Garden were easier to design because of their shape.  Our Fantastic Garden was truly awesome and the most "puzzly" of our puzzles I'm thinking along the lines of graphic whimsical butterflies let loose by a helping hand or hands, with the characteristic swirls you expect from a true Maria design. So...here we go doodling, I promise to share once I have something that actually looks presentable.  Tell a friend! Thank you all and sharpen your chisels, Maria Update #1 WOW What a start!

My 15 Minutes of Fame!

Just Walk With Me

The image Just Walk With Me is a triptych printed on handmade paper. My former and always remembered paper-maker-collaborator M.J.Cole from Texas made that gorgeous paper from my descriptions of the desert. The intent was to have handmade paper specifically for that print and to match the image I had in mind. I loved working with her and my images were greatly enhanced by her carefully crafted and beautiful papers.

Image available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/166312270/original-woodblock-print-mojave-desert

Here is the image:

Just Walk With Me
20 x 36 inches in three panels
Woodcut on handmade paper

A GEICO Commercial Happened! 

Under the whoddathunkit department, I work with an image broker who sells some of my images to the designer trade. I get royalties from that and don't have to do anything except collect quarterly checks so it all works out.

A while back, they asked me to sign an additional release for images being sold to a prop company. The prop company creates stage, TV and film backgrounds for producers. So I did.

Cleverly enough, my image broker sold the middle panel of that image as a stand-alone to the prop company. The prop company used it in a GEICO commercial called Zen Gardening. Imagine my surprise when I am watching the NBA playoffs 2018 and I see my artwork on TV! 

A clever Google search by my hubby and we found the commercial, the image and...and...how COOL IS THAT!?

Here is the commercial, as the young'uns used to say, "I'm stoked!"

Image available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/166312270/original-woodblock-print-mojave-desert

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

Ghost Town, Red Barn from the North

YouTube video of carving

This was fun! Not the video making, that is tedious and boring but I appreciate every YouTube video I see so much more after making a few of these slide shows. Carving was fun; always enjoyable to see the image "appear" as my knives take out the wood.
All done sweeping the wood curls too!

Views from North and East

Death Valley view

Endless road to Death Valley

On to the West, view from Death Valley road. First I have to "be there" if only in spirit. As I recall, this was my longest walk because the Westward road lost sight of the Barn almost immediately, so I had to travel the highway. Shortly, up a hill, the funky Welcome to Nevada sign and a perfect window to view the Barn. Point of curiosity: the signs have now been replaced with a more "modern" look so we are recording history.
Again, I mix man-made with nature and I may just enhance the current drawing with a few road-side flowers which are the highlight of the Death Valley roads.

Welcome to our state!

Can you spot the diminutive Red Barn?
 How about the entire ghost town in the background?!

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

Tempe Arts Festival one of my very favorite shows! December 2-4

Calendar Shock

Tempe Festival of the Arts

December 2-4 Mill Avenue, Tempe Arizona

Look for me along Mill between 6th and 7th Streets, double booth #1355

Just looked at the calendar and realized I'm on the road in about two weeks! Oh my oh my, so much to do... Arts festivals require much preparation, inventory, mental fortitude, muscle and attitude. The more prepared and flexible artists are, the easier the managing of the chaos that is one of these events.

I booked a 10x20 double booth and, although that means more work in setting up, also means more breathing room inside for me and a chance to really show off all my available matted and framed works. 

Favorite!

Tempe Festival of the Arts is a twice-yearly extremely well attended and well organized festivals. Attendance is in the hundreds of thousands, an astounding mass of people walk by the 400+ artsand crafts booths. Madness to set up, madness during and complete chaos to tear down...I LOVE IT!!! Fortunately it is very well organized, has the full support of town, great security, great weather, and I have been there so many times before I am very much looking forward to going back to downtown Tempe, Arizona and seeing all my artists friends and some of my most faithful collectors. Less than three weeks...yikes!

Evolution of the Steed

First and foremost is getting the faithful steed ready for a road trip. Tune up this time, and perhaps the all important brake check. Festival wares take up space and can be crammed in all types of creative vehicles. My own evolution from top rack of the GMC Jimmy to a truck/camper combo has taken me through van and trailer. Advantages and disadvantages to all types of configurations of course, while a trailer was very convenient in that it doubles as storage (no loading or unloading of equipment between shows), the current truck/camper combo is much more flexible and agile to drive around in crowded festival aisles.

Here are som fun pictures of the various "steeds" through my career as an art festival artist.

"Truckie" a 1978 Datsun Galavan,
most of you young'uns don't know what a
Datsun is ha ha

"Tiny Trailer" still serves me well on multiple show trips

Ramps are a secret obsession of mine...

...as are hand-carts and dollies

Always always check for cats before leaving

Current truck "the faithful steed" and trailer

Faithful steed with cargo saddle added

See you in Tempe!!!

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

Ink can trick...with duct tape, of course!

Keeping ink fresh

Always a bummer to start out your printing day by having to carefully remove the anti-skin paper from your ink can only to find skin on your ink anyway. For one thing, those flimsy waxed papers aren't big enough, ever, for the can, ever, ever. So ink skins along the edges.

fresh ink, sniff sniff....aaaahhh

And for another thing, the ink seems to skin anyway right under the paper and the top layer sticks to the bottom of the anti-skin paper. Either way ink is lost every time.

Then I proceed to remove the tiny bits of dried up ink from the sides of the can. Takes some time to get the darned clean glob of ink nicely spread on my slab.

the dog, always oblivious to my genius

Two solutions:

 I started using a disc of foamboard, cut precisely to the inside diameter of the can. I press the disc firmly against the ink and leave a threaded piece of string to easily lift the foamboard disc. Works okay and I can scrape the underside of the foamboard disc with my ink knife so as not to waste a precious drop. Since I frame my own works, scraps of foamboard are a-plenty.

But now I use that marvel of material that should be a staple in everyone's home, backpack, purse, vehicle, bicycle...yes, friends, now you can use DUCT TAPE to prevent your ink from skinning in the can. Easier to cut than foamboard and with the advantage that you can let it "ride" up the sides of the can to prevent ink from drying there. Here is a video on my YouTube Channel and still pictures at the bottom.

Still pictures follow

double layer of duct tape, sticky side to sticky side

mark the size of the can with the top

cut along the edges, leave two "ears" for picking up

pick up by ears

awesome, no skin on my ink!

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

No sooner I touch down...

Crazy life

As the story goes, I was driving back from Bellevue Washington and vowing to take 5 years off this crazy life when...ding! Message from Tempe Festival of the Arts in Arizona, letting me know that the very next day the invites for the 2016 Fall show would be sent. 

Tempe is a staple in my show schedule, a very well attended show with many avid collectors attending from the huge Phoenix valley. So I'm very tired and I still feel the tingle...where will I request a booth? where will I stay this time? single or double booth? ay ay ay...

And so the next day, I boot up my sleepy computer and, as I lick my Bellevue wounds and bruises, already itching to get my notice...

Going to Tempe!

Yay! By the time the email hit my mailbox I had chosen a booth, looked at hotels nearby and decided on a 10x20, double booth. Why not, only 4 festivals this year and none! scheduled for next year. I need to regroup in 2017.

Still a ways off, December 2-4, 2016 normal hours finally! 10am - 5:30pm daily.

Here is the link:

http://www.tempefestivalofthearts.com/

Last time I was in Tempe
double booth on 7th just off Mill Avenue

Info from the website:

"December 2-4 2016
Downtown Tempe along Mill Avenue
The Tempe Festival of the Arts is a well loved community event that showcases over 300 artists from around the country.  This year is the 48th annual Fall Festival and we have an exceptional event planned for you.
Look for a few changes to this upcoming festival.  Check out 6th & Mill Makers, a local Makers section curated by local artists.  Next we have added entertainment stages on 5th Street East of Mill Avenue and in Hayden Amphitheater, tripling the stages at the event.  Bringing the family?  You won't want to miss Kidz Row, where kids can see works by their peers and do some projects of their own.
And while you are at the festival, take a break from the crowds and check out some of our downtown restaurants, pubs, breweries and shops.   You'll find great spots that will keep you coming downtown all year long."

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

Nothing to see here...spring cleaning!

Upcoming

Don't miss this year's Utah Arts Festival! massive event coming up on June 23-26

Utah Arts Festival

Washington/Library Square

Salt Lake City, Utah

http://uaf.org/

I will be in a corner booth on the grass again, under the shade of a beautiful big tree I hope. Funny how I'm looking forward to it even though, as I recall, the hours are long (12:00 to 11:00PM daily) and the weather is hot. Fortunately the beer is cold and the food is just amazing! 

Training? or just spring cleaning?

A bit of both I guess. I have been gardening, rearranging the earth (gardening), and finishing some long due house projects. 

Aside from plotting my latest artworks (a few smaller "bread and butter" works for Utah and a few balloon-themed small color works for Albuquerque in October), I've been spring cleaning. Really I should say 3-year cleaning. I just filled up a 23 cubic yard container with godknowswhat. Stuff, mostly. Some stuff in boxes I hadn't opened in so many years I didn't even bother to break the tape...DUMP! Some stuff that I just can't believe I was keeping. Some stuff too big to fit in a standard trash can. Feels good, I'm in great shape and our house is so much lighter now, ha!

Enjoy the rest of spring, summer's coming! Festivals around the corner:

June 23-26

Utah Arts Festival

Washington/Library Square

Salt Lake City, Utah

July 29-31

BAM ARTSfair

Bellevue Washington

Bellevue Square, downtown by the Museum

September 30 - Oct 2

& October 7-9

Rio Grande Balloon Fiesta Show

EXPO New Mexico Fairgrounds

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

Balloon Fiesta! Rio Grande Festival in Albuquerque says YES!

Love a Fiesta!

The Rio Grande Balloon Fiesta show is ranked #11 in the nation and I was happily invited to participate on BOTH weekends of the show. I am very excited and look very much forward to this massive event taking place over two consecutive weekends, not to mention some balloon festival sight seeing in between.

DATES

September 30 – Oct 2 & Oct 7-9

HOURS

Fridays: 10am–5pm

Saturdays: 10am–5pm

Sundays: 10am–5pm

LOCATION

In the BIG WHITE TENT at EXPO New Mexico’s Racetrack Infield.  Enter through Gate 8, which is on Louisiana blvd., just south of the intersection of Lomas and Louisiana.  Once you get to the intersection of Lomas and Louisiana, head south on Louisiana and follow the signs into Gate 8!

Calendar All Set

And with that, I believe my calendar may be all set for the year. Four huge shows, plenty for this ol' bod of mine. I feel the limited calendar allows me to concentrate more on home and art, shooting for that happy balanced life. Check the Gig Alert calendar on the left column for all my shows and come on down!

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

Peace Gathering at Prints for Peace Mexico

Gathering for Peace

The Octava Convocatoria Internacional de Grabados por la Paz México 2016 or Eighth Prints for Peace México 2016 brings together artists from all over the world to celebrate and promote peace. The tireless Guadalupe Victorica is the organizer, year after year, and the exhibits seem to be getting bigger and more world encompassing. Hats off to Guadalupe!

The Peace Puzzle 2016 - 160 artists

Peace in Print, the tale! available in Amazon.com

One of the 8 panels of the Peace Puzzle
with participant artists

I am proud that the Peace Puzzle 2015 is a part of this huge collective. Can't do enough to bring artists together in our moment of world peace. 

See all the details here:

http://www.printsforpeacemexico.blogspot.com/

Participant Groups

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos

A Very Fast Week

Drive, work, play

Oakland, California is roughly 400 miles as the crow flies...unfortunately, the "crow" cannot fly where there are no roads so the actual drive is around 580 miles. I start out going South, which is totally wrong but the Sierra Nevada is a daunting obstacle, especially in winter. The marvelous highway system eventually gets me there through the central California valley after crossing a bit of desert. 

Expecting the usual drab dead grass covered ground, instead the hills were bathed in lush green spring grasses covered with swaths of yellow, orange and lavender flowers. Quite the meditation! Pictures on the next trip, I was too nervous during the drive but I did take some Oakland shots once I arrived.

I will be right back out there this Friday for the Opening Reception, Creative Framing & Gallery, 2700 Park Blvd, Oakland California - 6-9 PM

I am hearing a few of the Peace Puzzle artists will be there and can't wait to meet everyone in the flesh. Heather Piazza and I have been exchanging prints for nearly 10 years and now we finally exchanged hugs and great chats throughout the day.

The Gallery 2700 Park Blvd, Oakland California

Loaded with art, the faithful steed got me there safely and was able to relax a little after checking in and stretching my legs. I even dropped in the Creative Framing and Gallery for an early hug from Heather Piazza. Then a good night's sleep.

Work begins "early" (Californians...) at around 11:00 AM, surf's up dude! Heather is very efficient and knowledgeable and had a plan in her head already. I unpacked, put away boxes, wrote price tags and dutifully handed here hangers and hammer. Eventually, the gallery looked scrumptious with the incomparable Peace Puzzle and some of my works.

Shot from the secret window above

Heather Piazza hanging the Peace Blocks

Peace blocks all done

The accent wall with Life Seekers, print and block

Hanging the last of the Peace Puzzle Prints

Ta da! (She hangs the work, I take the credit, well done, Maria)

Complete! Heather does nice work

Another view

Lunch by the bay, I had sea critter stew

One of the many gorgeous Oakland murals

Stay in touch!

1000woodcuts Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/1000woodcuts 
Maria's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/maria.arango.diener 
Maria's Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/1000woodcuts 
1000woodcuts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts/videos