I took a nice long break from art making, but now I need to kick my butt into gear and prep for shows. Buy frames, print, make new art, hang stuff, and of course, the thesis paper/exhibition for graduating school. SO MUCH! AH!

Expect more posting here in the near future. I want to document as much as possible for the upcoming thesis show. I might do a “photo-a-day” posting schedule or something similar to motivate my blogging.

Upcoming shows:

MFA group show @ Gallery 148 (MCAD/MPLS, MN)

Gender Show @ Altered Esthetics (NE MPLS, MN)

Glass, Cinder & Thorns @ 323 East Gallery (Royal Oak, MI)

Feminality Traveling Exhibition Round 3 @ Manhattan venue (haven’t learned much more than that)

MFA 2010 Thesis Exhibition @ Soap Factory (MPLS, MN)

Those are the main shows so far. I might keep my eye out for more shows that follow the thesis exhibition, but this should do for the semester. I’m starting my print for the Glass, Cinder & Thorn show. I’ll have a print in-progress for next week, maybe?

Yesterday, I got a catalog in the mail for the Los Angeles Printmaking Society 20th National Exhibition from last semester. This book is huge and full of lovely black and white images of prints from the show. For some reason, I didn’t include any artist statement with my image.

Bummer. It kind of makes me look like a goof, I’m the only one that doesn’t have a blurb by my image in the catalog. I must have been a space case when I sent all the information into the mail. I can’t seem to think of a better reason why I forgot. Still, it’s nice to see my artwork along with other printmakers in the field.

That’s all for now. I’m going to update the website later this week. The Art section will receive its usual overhaul, but I might also add my resume and tinker with the About page.

Later.

-Megan

That’s it. I’ve been taking in the review comments and figuring out my next steps. I have to catch up in paper writing though, which is not so fun. One more semester left, one more semester left…

I think I’m going to start adding color again to the new pieces. Somehow. I think I might send one of these for a show in March. I’m going to try and figure out a cheaper way to frame the work. Maybe put it on mounted board or something? I don’t know. I’m going to revert to modest sized pieces after school is over, that’s for sure. Waaaaay easier to send to shows.

The Trebling Effect, framed 32″ x 35″, silkscreen, relief print, and collage. (apologies for the horrible glare)

The work is framed, packaged and sent off. I spent a lot of money that I didn’t have, so maybe the karma fairies will grant my wish and the work will sell at the show. I have no clue if the work is appropriately priced for that area and my (for lack of a better word) rank as an artist. I’ve learned my lesson though, I’m not framing/mailing big works anymore. It just hurts my wallet too much. I’ll probably have to resort to eating ramen for the rest of the semester. (blah blah blah, I shouldn’t whine)

The show should be pretty exciting. I wish I could be there. Even if I could afford it, my schedule is so awful that it makes it impossible to go. On a more exciting note, I got my friend H. E. Croan to submit for Round two and she got in! Go networking…and karma fairies.

-Megan

Edit: Earlier version of the image, sans glare:

MAKE IT WORK! If I had my own Tim Gunn, he tell me that over and over until I became a production machine. This semester has been the semester of bad prints and mishaps, but I’m going to make it work! I will! I need to push myself to my breaking point and beyond.

This particular print was already a mess to work with, but I didn’t like how the proofs were looking. Neither did my mentor, but at least I got some suggestions on how to steer it in a better direction. There’s only so much you can do with a relief print, but I think collage helps.

Guh, all these photos are horrible quality. My fault.

I’ve been working on a book as well. Here’s a sneak peek:

It’ll be an accordion fold. I was finish it for class today. I’ll blog the photos of it later this week.

-Megan

I've been utilizing stamping/printing for collage purposes.

Moths! Bees! Flowers! I've been experimenting with placement for later prints.

I’ve been currently printing/cutting a lot the past two weeks. I also have been working in my sketchbook. Next post might show that.

-Megan

Brenna requested that I get some detail shots of the linocut, so I went and took some close ups today and straighter shot of the whole print.

Lots of tiny cuts! I’m sad that this stuff doesn’t show online. The digital age fails me here.

When I showed my mentor, she made an observation that the eye was more alert/alarming in this version and I couldn’t figure out what it felt reminiscent of and then it hit me…

Dramatic Prairie Dog! It makes me giggle so joyfully. I even did a side-by-side comparison.

It’s uncanny! ha.

Anyway, a nap calls for me. Then I’m off to the library on a visual research binge. La.

-Megan

I got around to this a day later. I didn’t buy paper in time to print. Whoops.

I printed for most of my afternoon. This is was how I spent all of week 9 on, carving and prepping my print. I made a proof print for my mentor meeting on Saturday.

The ink was all old and gummy, which left odd spots. Seeing it printed out, I also saw that the pinkie needed to be carved out more. It just kind of blends with the sweater and hair. After fixing those on Sat.-Sun. I came in today and printed.

I was quite rusty with printing. My first few prints kept coming up grayish and splotchy. I had to experiment with the printing press’s pressure and the amount of ink applied. I printed more than I would have liked, but I got 2-3 good prints to use. It’s hard to notice with these tiny photos, but all the tiny cuts look amazingly detailed in person.

Another thing I was doing this week was attempting a photo transfer. The school’s artstore was out of the blender markers all last week, so I used some of the print studio’s acetone. It came up with hit-or-miss results. When the blender markers finally came in to the school store, I tested them today and got less pleasing results. Both methods give me headaches, so I’m off to test the wintergreen oil tonight. I don’t know if it’s my impatience, the application methods, or the paper, but it’s just not working out like I would expect. Here’s the best transfer that I drew on top of.

The hand didn’t come up at all and I should have left it, but I tried to fix it with ink. I made it worse and since taking this photo, I haven’t managed to improve it. If I can master the transfer method, I’ll redo this photo because I think it’s got some potential for it.

For week 10 I need to:

*look into new shoes

*play with a puppy

*master this transfer technique

*submit to some art shows

*take photos of people as references for future portraits.

*buy a coat (it snowed yesterday!)

*research research research

-Megan