Exhibition Alert! Puzzle Prints in West Las Vegas Library Gallery

Exhibit alert! 

The previous Puzzle Projects are about to be shown again. The exhibition entitled "In Perfect Harmony" at the West Las Vegas LIbrary Art Gallery from 9.15.2015 to 11.29.2015 (ooooh, my birthday!). Baren Puzzle (the Web), The Great Cairn, City of the World 2012 and the Fantastic Garden 2013 will be exhibited.
The West Las Vegas Library is located at 951 W Lake Mead Blvd 702-507-3980. Hours 10am to 8pm weekdays and to 6pm Fri/Sat/Sun.

Collaborative Puzzle Prints

Puzzle Prints are woodcut prints made in collaboration with hundreds of artists from all over the world. The Great Instigator gathers a bunch of artists, makes a giant design on a block of wood, cuts it up into tiny puzzle pieces and sends each puzzle piece to an artist. Each artist designs and carves a tiny woodcut under the theme of the project and sends back to me, er, I mean the Great Instigator. Once the puzzle is complete and put back together it is printed as a great big woodcut and each artist receives a copy of the entire print.
So far we have completed a 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8-panel print, panels are each 22x30 inches or 56x76 cm.

The last two projects also had a book published with reproductions of the entire print, photos of each participating artist's piece along with a blurb by each artist, project notes/photos and some very sophisticated artistic blah blah as an intro with some puzzle print history thrown in for good measure.
City of the World 2012 and the Fantastic Garden 2013 (in color) are available in Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Maria-Arango-Diener/e/B00J90Q808

To date 480 unique artists have participated in five puzzle projects, the latest one, the Peace Puzzle, in progress. Artists please update your resumes with this latest exhibit and thank you all for playing!

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

On humans and nature

A Maria Sampler

I was quietly sitting in my booth once, staying well out of the way of browsers so that they may enjoy looking at art without interruptions, when I overheard "she needs to stick to landscapes, I mean the figure stuff is nice but a little weird, the landscapes are really nice."

Maze

I smiled from my little corner and opted for silence as response. Later one of my figurative works, a rather "weird" one, won best of show.

Bajo la Sombra

Artists are many things, feel many things, share many things. We are told to develop a "style" to keep our work "consistent" and to "stick to what works". And yet creativity and pure heart take us down so many roads...

After almost 20 years of seriously making art, I "do" both landscapes and figures. I simply can't decide why I should decide. 

Just Walk With Me

Some of the work I like best incorporates both figures and nature. They are both beautiful and a little bit magic for me, we are both nature and human. Trees and tendons, branches and muscles, vast views and bare skin, mountains and body curves, shapes I can touch and feel with my mind and caress with my eyes. 

Light Hunter

Light always present illuminating everything. Feelings and music captured with an image, dances and movement and energy swirling through the wind, old scarred trees telling stories, young blooms entering life, loving, hoping. Figures bare as trees, stripped of symbols, status and masks, showing the beauty and magic of the human form, the nature in human.

After the Fire

That's my art.

Uprooted

Like a Drunken Bee

Struck

Spirit Wind

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

Change of pace, the festival life calling my name

Festivaling

Art festivals are the best way for this artist to connect with the largest audience, teach the world about woodcuts, have a bunch of fun, sell some art, and bring forth that elusive creature we call "the extroverted Maria," all concentrated in one chaotic exhausting weekend.

Generally work starts two or three weeks in advance, inventory artwork, check display equipment, panic, memorize festival map, mat, frame, price, pack and go! Since I have not done festivals in a long while, I'm panicking more than usual but it's all coming back to me quickly. I did, after all, write a book full of check-lists on how to sell work in art festivals (no, really!) so I have a refresher course handy on my shelves.

Framing

After a quick check on the equipment, just in case I had to order anything or one of my tent legs was missing (funny story behind that statement), I resigned myself to the task of matting and framing my happy woodcuts.
Why not hire a framer? Cost! 16 x 20 inch frame complete costs around $45, framer charges around $160+. Impossible to make a profit. Besides, with a few pieces of good equipment and some practice, practice, practice, framing is easy.

Here we go...first inventory, then get to cutting. I built some box containers to easily and safely transport my artworks across the country, they are on wheels for easy hauling. I reserve a work table and area for framing (and shipping), which makes everything more efficient. I have to confess I'm an efficiency freak! but anything you do more than two or three times needs to be efficient or time gets wasted...and time is so so precious.

Inventory of any existing framed and matted works

I built these wooden boxes on wheels to carry my works
safely across the country

The framing table, ready for action

Every work gets a Certificate of Authenticity, signed and
with an explanation of the woodcut process

Mats cut, ready to assemble

"Into the Canyon" one of my fav works and hiking places
in Zion National Park

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

Woodblock gets stained

Struck

Struck was carved "white line" style, a technique in which the carving is the positive image and the background is inked in black. This is widely used for night scenes where the carved area is "lit". Sort of a reverse reverse woodcut print?

In any case, the lines on this block were carved very fine to show the delicacy of the lightning, and I even used rough sandpaper on the block to make the black sky a bit less black. All the different carving techniques made for a block that was not so exhibit-ready.

Background gets walnut stain to darken detail lines

Figure gets highlighted with sandpaper

First step was to strip the old layers of ink with a citrus-based paint stripper. Works quite well and leaves the wood only slightly stained. The stripper is applied, left on for about 30 minutes or longer and then scrapped off with a plastic putty knife so as not to damage the wood. Some old fashioned soap and water follows and the result is a fairly clean block. Most importantly, the carved lines on the figure came up clean.

Still, I was not satisfied with the appearance of the block so I decided to experiment with stains. First I stained the whole block lightly with a walnut stain, resulting in some of the lines accepting stain partially. This gave the lines more depth and still the deeper areas remained clean. I rubbed off some areas more than others until I was happy with the result. I stain with sponge brushes and use old socks for rubbing the stain off.

Struck, original woodblock selectively stained

With the background solved, the figure didn't stand out enough so I took some rough sandpaper to it and brought the white birch back to life. Now with the figure and background contrasting nicely, I thought the tree element needed to be separated from the background so I stained it with a bit of red mahogany, wiping away until the tinge was just different from the background. The front "broken" tree needed to be brought toward the viewer so I gave it the same stain as the background but left it a bit darker.
Lastly, a nice coat of satin polyurethane over the entire block to eliminate the shine and protect the stain and the bare birch.

Original woodblocks with a makeover

The Wood Speaks

Detail from Baile del Sol woodblock

I have been selling my original woodblocks at art festivals for years and, in getting them ready for "market", I have found that each demands its own particular makeover.

Some are ready to sell, they stay clean during printing and all that is required is a few cleanups here and there. Usually cherry and maple blocks are very well behaved. Lines stay clear, ink goes only where it is rolled and the backgrounds remain beautifully carved, clean and showing all the scars of the cutting process. Few...and far between!

I usually simply let the last layer of ink dry after printing the last print of the edition. Then I carve my signature or chop and often add a symbol with a metaphor to the image. Lastly I cover with a protective coating, sometimes polyurethane, sometimes a polycrylic, sprayed or brushed but just enough so that the carving scars show. The intent with the signature and the coating is to cancel the block so that fine lines fill in and no more prints could possibly be made from the block, resulting in a one-of-a-kind work.

Maze and Light Seekers

Wouldn't you know it, these two baltic birch blocks were definitely NOT well behaved. By the time the edition was finished the lines were soft, the backgrounds were soiled and some of the plywood had actually started to fall apart.

When blocks misbehave I still have to make them presentable enough to exhibit or sell. The last resort is to stain or paint the entire block with an opaque coating, let dry and then roll up with ink as for printing. These have the "cleaner" look but the downside is that the natural wood is completely covered with something opaque, usually acrylic paint or water-based ink. I try to match the original color of the wood but something about painting wood seems almost sacrilegious.

In any case, the blocks with a detail or two for Maze and Light Seekers. The Maze block was cut originally with a scroll saw to make printing easier so I wouldn't have to worry about inking the background between the delicate areas. 

More to come next post!

Maze, original woodblock

Detail of Maze block

Light Seekers detail, the "sun" is a knot in the wood
that started the image twirling in my head

Light Seekers, original woodblock

OXS Gallery Exhibit prep work!

2014 Break Out Year

This has been a very busy year and I am grateful for all the invites and acceptances from galleries and venues in Nevada. I have previously exhibited quite a bit in various places across the US and across the globe, but this year I am proudly being shown in Nevada!
Aside from feeling good about it, I am also working like a madwoman! Getting artwork ready for an exhibit takes much excitement, preparation, time and money.

Exhibit at OXS

First two prints finished!
Maze, left and Struck, right

So later this year, November 10, 2014 – January 23, 2015, the Nevada Arts Council has invited me to exhibit along with a fellow artist in the OXS Gallery space in Reno, Nevada. Details will come later as to location and such but for now, I am happily working to get the chosen works prepared.

Maze block ready for cleanup

I will be showing 5 woodcuts along with their blocks. Now, as a background, in the past I have only printed a few of each edition as I finished an image. Two reasons for this, one is that I usually have several "irons on the fire" and simply can't take the time to spend three days to a week printing 100 or more prints. Second reason is that I very rarely am I in a position to be able to afford the required paper. I guess a third reason would be that if I had printed all the prints in every edition of all my images so far I would need a few more flat files!

Printing Marathon

Maze print on Daphne Nepalese paper

So in order to show the blocks, they have to be cleaned up and in order to have the block cleaned up I have to be finished with the edition printing. As soon as the curator for the OXS Gallery show decided on the pieces to show, I got busy with a printing marathon! I am now finished with two out of the five blocks and taking a breather until next week.

A fresh batch of paper arrived yesterday and I have the third block all ready to go. My press-cranking arm is getting a workout!

Baile del Sol, block ready for press

Current and Upcoming Exhibits

Exhibits

Boy, it's been a busy year so far but I am happy to report on current and upcoming exhibit schedule:

Puzzle Prints traveled to the Laughlin Library in Laughlin Nevada, and will show there through July, courtesy the Las Vegas/Clark County Library District.

A Closer Look, the collaborative print made during my residency at Red Rock Canyon, will be shown along with other woodcuts in a 3-artist-show at the Red Rock Canyon Visitor's Center just West of Las Vegas, beginning July 4th. Opening reception is July 9th 5-7 PM!

Two engravings will show in Why, Masterworks?
June 19 – Aug 23, 2014
Reception: June 19  
An educational exhibit in the Fifth Street School, 401 S 4th in downtown Las Vegas.

And the Celebrating Life 2014 Exhibit will continue until mid July in the Charleston Heights Art Center, my piece After the Fire was awarded First Prize in Mixed Media. The Winners' Circle Show will continue in the City Hall Chamber Gallery but I will post dates when it gets closer.

Whew!

Cleaning Up a Block for Exhibit

The Red Rock Canyon Block Gets a Makeover

After printing, the woodblock for Red Rock Canyon: A Closer Look puzzle print was a bit dirty. They all are, really! That pesky ink gets everywhere.
If I have a plank block that needs to be exhibited or go out to market, I usually just recarve the soiled portions. Then I roll a fresh coat of ink on the relief, and sometimes cover the whole thing with thick polyurethane to "cancel" the block. I carve my signature somewhere visible prior to the polyurethane treatment.

But plywood presents a problem, especially Shina plywood. Carving the soiled inky parts sometimes uncovers an alternate universe...er, I mean an additional layer of ply that isn't quite as attractive as the top layer. So when I finish a plywood wood block, I use another method.

Rather than explain, I made a slide show.
https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts 
With block and prints now complete, time to start another project!

Finished the Red Rock Canyon puzzle print!

The Real Thing

Coloring a woodcut with watercolors is fun but also stressful. The print takes about 20 minutes to print and an $8 piece of paper and messing up is really not an option. After the first one, though, seems like the stress is gone and I enjoy playing with very dilute watercolors.

The first one requires that every color is mixed to "taste" both in hue and saturation so it takes a little while to get that first one done. After that, I just paint as many as I can until I run out of color. I can usually work on two at a time but this one was too big. Nevertheless, I finished two and hopefully my mixes stay wet until tomorrow under the lid of the palette.

List of Artists

The budding artists participated in my workshop and each received a tiny block. It was later my job to fit all the blocks into the overall composition. A slightly different approach to the puzzle print concept but it worked well. The overall has a real primitive feel, I think, and is reminiscent of some of the petroglyph imagery found around these parts.
Amazing all that you might find when you take a closer look!

From left to right on the little blocks, or from Sun to Pine Cones if you prefer.
Kate Sorom (sun)
Daniel Bo-Bo Clayton (the rock)
Kim Gilman (eagle)
Mark "The Red" Harlan (flower)
Laura Meg Viar (tortoise)
Maria Arango Diener (yucca)
Leslie Dill (yucca)
Mark "The Red" Harlan (petroglyph)
Me, again (globe mallow)
Maria Feinberg (beaver tail cactus bloom)
Graham Wimbrow (hare)
Kala Kales (joshua tree)
Kim Gilman (native corn baby)
Alba Arango (lizard petroglyph)
Me, again (pine cones)

Block is next in line to get cleaned up and sealed.

Here is the finished print and some details.

Red Rock Canyon: A Closer Look
Collaboration puzzle woodcut print

Cutting the block A Closer Look puzzle print

My Favorite Part!

Definitely carving a block is my favorite part...then printing it...then having a bunch of prints hanging in the studio and the smell of ink permeating the house. That's my favorite part, all of it!

Only one item of explanation, the lighter parts on the top block (front, spanning both corners) are areas that I covered with a light wash of opaque paint so I could re-draw the block over my previous marker drawing. Tricks of the trade.

So here we go, sans (many) words, with a video/slide show at the end.

Block

Chisels

Spanish music!

And so it begins...

Love the way the carving catches the light

Red Rock Canyon: A closer look

Puzzle Print Alert!

I have begun work on the puzzle print A Closer Look, a collaboration woodcut print among participants of my workshops during my residency at Red Rock Canyon, near Las Vegas Nevada.
I ended up with fifteen blocks from 11 different recruited budding and established artists!

Here is a video/slide show of the studio happenings in the past couple of days.
It's up on my YouTube channel and I will be uploading more so if you want to subscribe directly, here is the url: https://www.youtube.com/user/1000woodcuts

I am ready to cut the block!

Celebrating Life! 2014

50 or Better

I am entering a piece I just finished to a show called Celebrating Life! sponsored by the Las Vegas City Council. I will deliver tomorrow but the thing that called my attention to the show was the call for entries where it states "Artists 50 or better are eligible to participate" Do you LOVE that?!
I just had to enter. Hopefully I make it into the show.

After the Fire

Last year we had a horrible fire up at our mountain island, a near 12 thousand foot peak called Mount Charleston. The fire started down in the canyon of the Spring Mountains and lapped up a huge amount of land. The scars are very evident, where it crossed roads, where it jumped fire breaks, where it scorched 50 year old Joshua trees and everything around them. Mountain residents were evacuated and the fire came within a few hundred yards of one of the tiny residential areas.

This year I was driving up the mountain and I decided to take photos of the interesting burned landscape. Then I could come back every year to see nature's progress in reclaiming the mountain. I was surprised by the growing carpet of blue, purple and orange that had already begun to sprout! Between the blackened yucca, new growth afoot and yucca blooms sprouting in some of the trunks. Sprinkles of purple sage and globe mallow everywhere, daisies here and there...new life on the mountain springing up everywhere!

Here is my piece with some details, After the Fire, A New Spring a hand colored woodcut 34 x 26 inches, edition of 25, half on Arches tan and half on BFK light. Both papers color very nicely with watercolor with the Arches being a little richer overall and the BFK light a bit more subtle and delicate. Just got done framing it today.