What a Relief! Tenaciously Learning a New Art Medium

 

Aloha, it's been a minute. Due to technical difficulties and a simple refusal to blog from my phone. Maybe it’s being Gen X but if I can't write by hand, I at least need a full size keyboard. This post is brought to you by the desktop at my mother's Art Gallery at which I now work (barely) part-time. I will tap out sentences between customers. There is no website but there is an Instagram Kohala Coast Fine Art. It's apropos I type this from an art gallery as that is what I have been up to these past couple of months. A-R-T 

I've been reading, studying and doing a carving and relief process known as block printing, or linocut. My first experience was actually in Hawaii during my junior year of high school. A 4x6 piece of battleship grey linoleum, an x-acto knife and my selected colors of hot pink and green. I think I simply created a border to write notes within. I don't remember much instruction. Lo and behold I found myself drawn to Mid-century Swedish/Danish artists who created in this format unbeknownst to me that it was the same medium. I had another intro to the medium when I lived in the art village of Holualoa in my twenties. Studio 7 Gallery was a short stroll, where there were always woodblock showcases.  

I've composed with a camera since I wore two braids in my hair. When I painted, it was abstract...always. Partly because that's what I like but also because I didn't think my drawing skills were anything to put down on paper...or canvas. Since I've been working in the Gallery, I've heard something said on a pretty regular basis. "I love art but I'm not artistic, I can't draw". As if you easily tap in or it is simply missing from your skillset. 

EVERYONE CAN CREATE ART. 

If you are alive, you can create art. That is really the only prerequisite. I'm carving my little blocks meanwhile my little brother paints masterpieces like this wave! 

So if I'm not intimidated, you shouldn't be either. 

Exhibit A: This is my attempt at sketching a beehive ginger, looking at a photo I took of a beehive ginger from our backyard. 

Now, I felt this was enough for me to be justified in my statement that I can not draw. However, I refused to give up and tried again. This time I noticed there was a pattern in the flower and tried well...mathing it. 

Better but no...and it doesn't look real, it looks like a math flower. Next I tried drawing freehand. And freeing up the restrictions I put on my hand gave me this. 

Looking at the 3 of these images is wild to me. Especially since they were not done by 3 different people, nor by one drunk and two sober people. Au contraire, they were drawn only about 20 minutes apart with the same pencil in the same hand. Drawing just takes practice. Lots and lots of practice and the ability to let go of what you think it HAS to look like. I have a theory that those amazing impression artists actually paint that way because they think they are bad at drawing. Those are their "abstracts". If it doesn't have to be something realistic and specific, you are not committing to the comparison of what your eye sees vs what is on you paper. Comparison kills creativity. 

Apparently I had a lot to say about that. I haven't even gotten to what I'm making....=)

When I began this adventure with my learners block, vintage lino cutter and black ink I realized that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the carving part. I found myself getting a composition on the block quickly to begin the carve the same day. As soon as I finished one, I began another. Sure I love coming up with the composition and choosing the color scheme and mixing the colors...all enjoyable parts but the carving is a whole other world. It's both soothing and electrifying at the same time. This process is so many art forms in one which I think is why I enjoy it so much. Plus it's art made in reverse and backwards. Which is just weird enough for me. 

The two carvings of beehive ginger and the experimenting of inks and layering. 

Title: "Ginger Has a Beehive" 

In Block printing, you transfer your image to the block. You begin carving out what will not be inked. What is not carved will be inked with a roller. Your paper is laid on top of the inked carving and put under a printing press or if you are like me, you burnish it by hand with only your weight and a handy tool like a brayer or a big spoon. You then carefully lift the paper for the reveal. 

I carved a single block of my parents lanai. There was a sky but it was total crap so I carved it all out. Single color tests: 

                      

Title: "Rockin' Lanai" 

 I am still experimenting with this one and am currently finger painting and roller inking various sunsets to go beneath this block so there will be a Variable Edition, like this one with 7 colors. 

And after I got a few single block carvings under my belt, I blew some savings on professional swiss tools and tried my first Reduction Relief. The Reduction process is more complicated and uses the organizing part of your brain. I have this part in spades. =) It's not frustrating to me but incredibly challenging in a very satisfying way. You really never know what you are going to get with reduction. And each one is an original. No two will be exactly the same. 

Reduction refers to the continued carving away of the block after each color layer beginning with the lightest color and working to the darkest...revealing more and more detail of the composition. Therefore you can not go back. Any mistakes made will forever be a part of it. Unlike a single layer carving, there's no making more. How many you choose to start with and that make it through the whole process is your edition size. 

Here I've carved out for the first layer of color. 

My first reduction print was created with 3 colors. Color One..

Color 2:

Initially this composition was going to be a peachy-nude, a cherry pink/French rose and Black. I loved the first two layers but hated the black. I think my lines were too thick for black and it took over. I then tried a mossy green which looked great with the other two colors but another caveat of reduction prints...you are stacking color. So the next color is on top of the previous color and therefore mixes and the hues change. You have to consider color theory when you are both mixing your colors and choosing layers. Organizing Brain engage! There's no going back with reduction and I could have gone though most of my run experimenting with colors so I decided to mix up a darker pink.

I made a point to do what's called a Suite of each one to show the layering steps. I also wanted a record for myself of the process ever since I saw one Picasso did and it was just so super cool. Unfortunately, the first layer was on my desk and I forgot to put it away before the daily early morning Jackson Pollock reenactment done by my Mastiff. So he added his mark to my first ever reduction relief block print suite. :/ another reminder there are no do-overs in reduction. 

Title: “Love Mends”

So far, my reduction pieces have no more than 12 in the edition size and most have only 7. I always start out with more but with the suite, color experimentation and mistakes, it dwindles. 

I currently just finished my 5th reduction relief and I've gotten up to 7 color layers. All tropical flowers so far. I documented like the mad photographer that I am. There will definitely be a What a Relief:Part Two. Come back soon for "In Florescent", "She Carried a Torch" and "Marcia Marcia Marcia". Naming things is also my favorite. 

Sarah's Handmade Christmas - Quilted Stocking DIY

Inspired by a binge watch of Kirstie's Handmade Christmas on Amazon, while my mom was sick with the flu, I got a fire in me to make something for someone for Christmas. Besides my own personal bakery of revolving pumpkin loaves, banana bread and various vegan desserts, I had not made anything non-food this season. 

Then while glancing at our family's stockings hanging across the table beneath the viewing of Kirstie's Handmade Christmas, it occurred to me that my sister in law didn't have a stocking. EUREAKA! I thought it was possible she may have one at home but I personally have 3, made by relatives over the years, so more than one is perfectly okay! =) 

I immediately knew it would be blue, it would be quilted and it would have her name on it. 

But first Kimura's for fabric... 

Family owned and operated since 1926, means they'll be celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. =)

Here's a great 3 min video about the store Kimura’s Fabric Store 

My first dive into this pattern utopia was in high school, 30 years ago, for a sewing class at Konaweana High School. I mostly made 60's/70's inspired outfits and Kimuras was the only place to find florals that fit the esthetic. Most recently I was in for baby quilt supplies. Today I was on a hunt for Hawaiian or Japanese blue florals and blue seascapes. And Winnie Kimura who helped me 30 years ago, was still working the store to help me that day along with another very friendly woman and I wished I'd asked her name. We talked about our dogs while they cut my fabric. 

My late grandmother and late aunt were seamstresses and dress makers. Most of my clothes growing up were handmade up until I was a teenager and I asked for a GUESS acid washed jean jacket and matching jeans with jean bow cut outs on the back for my 12th birthday. I remember my grandmothers sewing room being stacks, floor to ceiling, of fabrics. She also worked at a fabric store. She'd open up the door of her sewing room and say, "Pick out your fabric" and the next time I visited there would play clothes and at least one fancy dress for birthdays and holidays with lace or ribbon and because of Anne of Green Gables....puffed sleeves. 

Birthday Dress, Snoopy piñata 

Christmas Plaid Pinafore 

Matchy Matchy

Another birthday dress (matching digital watch). And that snow cone maker was probably one of the most used gifts of my childhood.

Christmas in green velvet and my favorite Rainbow brite.

Striped summer romper and watermelon. I would wear this now. Actually I might have one like it now.

My other grandmother crocheted or quilted gorgeous blankets for many decades. She had an enormous quilting frame that hung from the ceiling and could be pulled up when the room was in use and lowered for hand-quilting work. She and I also designed and made my wedding dress many many years ago.  

My fabric hunt ended up being very quick and successful. I narrowed it down to these 5 designs and batting, a quarter of a yard for 4 of them and a half yard for the one I choose for the cuff and interior. 

When I got back home, I broke down a cracker cardboard box to draw out the templates: my stocking shape and a square. I decided on a 3x3 square because of the math. I could fit 3 squares on the quartered yard and 3 squares ran across the stocking front. I drew the stocking template from tracing a stocking I already had but made it about 1/2-1 inch larger all the way around for seam loss. I actually could have added 2 inches. The template ended up being 19 top to bottom by 8.5 across the top. 

 For the smaller prints I cut 3 down, 3 times across wasting no fabric with each cut but if you have a larger print, I recommend designing your square segments to get the desired elements. Example, this Honu print might have solid blues or just a sea turtle fin if I cut them 3 up. I used a silver color pencil to trace out what i wanted. 

I used the template to trace the inside of the stocking and the batting as well. 

Then I laid out the squares, picking one from each fabric stack of squares at first then mixing and matching until I found a pattern I liked. If you are making, be sure you don't make two lefts or two rights, as you'll need to sew fronts together later. 

Next I sewed the squares together first in rows across.

Then ironed the seems down before I sewed the rows together.

I know ironing each seem, "seems" like a pain but the seems look so much cleaner and 

straighter when you do. 

 

So clean and flat. 

All sewed together! 

I laid the interiors on top to see what needed to be trimmed off.

Starting to take the stocking shape!

The three layers: Interior, batting and fronts ready for the sewing machine.

I sewed across each line already made from sewing the rows together.  

 Front and interior, Sewing machine quilted! 

Next I sewed these two together, interior fabric on the outside so when it's sewn, I could then turn it inside out with the right sides facing out. 

Other side! 

Stocking sewn and quilted. Next the cuff...

I sewed the fabric together like a scrungie with no elastic. (Measure desired size and sew right sides together, leaving a little bit open to turn the fabric inside out and then hand sew the small hole) 

Next was the trickiest part of the whole thing. Maybe because I'd been sewing all day but I kept doing it backwards. I pinned it, flipped it, nope wrong, Pinned it flipped it, nope wrong. Until finally, I Pinned the cuff to the top and INSIDE but sticking out, not tucked in, of the stocking and when I folded it over to preview, success. 

I flipped it back and sewed my desired placement, once sewed, I could flip the cuff over the top of the stocking to complete. 

Final stage: the Lettering for the name!

I made letters out of the same cardboard and then cut out the fabric.

Next I laid the letters on thin batting and cut around those. 

I glued the fabric letters to the batting with book binding glue, as that was what I had and it worked very well. Fabric glue would be more appropriate. =P 

The letters blended in a little too well to the stocking so I decided to add details with silver embroidery thread to add some shimmer. 

Late night stitching. 

A little extra and ready to be attached to the Stocking!

I used the book binding glue again to attach then hand-sewed the edges. 

The hook also right side fabric sewn together and turned inside out. 

I hand sewed the base inside the stocking. 

FINISHED! 

Time to complete: 2 days (approx. 12 hrs including buying the supplies)

We had one solitary poinsettia bloom in our backyard garden this year. 

Just in time for Christmas. 

P.S. My sister in law's name means "Blue". 

A Walk in Color

A Walk in Color.  

This series was taken over one evening walk and one morning walk through my neighborhood. I wanted to shoot in both black and white and color rather than changing anything in post. I choose most frames specifically for one or the other. Very few edits were done in post. 

Check out the previous post for A Walk In Black and White. 

Iris

Passion Flower

Yellow Hibiscus, our State Flower

Hawaiian Snow Bush

Philodendron Selloum, papa and baby

Neoregelia Bromeliads

Allamanda Golden Trumpet

Plumeria, Croton, Bromeliad

Royal Poinciana, Flamboyant 

Blue/Purple Trumpet Vine

Thunbergia Grandiflora, Sky Flower

Turmeric Blossom 

Iris 

Torch Gingers

Torch Ginger and Day Gecko (who was quite the poser)

Extended Lobster Claw Heliconia

Heliconia Psittacorum, Parrots Beak