TigerTake 2

Actual colors on this one are less grey, it has a nice range of secondary and tertiary tones.

Had another go at the tiger after doing some cutting and tinkering. I'm getting closer, the tail needs a bit more work and the face too. I am doing two passes on the body to get the color and this seems to be compromising the registration on the eyes and elsewhere.  Tried some different background approaches, the colors are a bit brighter than what seems to showing on my screen....The more light parts on Mr. Tiger seems to be better and his foot no longer bothers me unless I fixate on it. I bring these proofs to my "client" today and see what he thinks. 

Trying just blue in the background with more lighter bits on the tiger

Once again the actual purple is brighter, the paint bottle said Magenta!

Errrrr...Tuesday Bunday

The Spots and I tried for the traditional Monday Bunday post, we really did. The Spots had written a bang up restaurant review and we had some great footage to go along with it, but as luck, or lack of it, would have it I couldn't get it loaded; just blackness with the time ticking away along the bottom. We refuse to take this as an ominous sign. Instead I offer a couple of pix from the Spots rose eating session. Rose petals are still on the top of the list for treats. I tried to find some packaged treats for rabbits that could do in a pinch and was disappointed to find they all had corn syrup or some sort of sweetener in them. Since then I have experimented with drying Rose petals in the sun and the Spots approved of these heartily. 

Sydney pushes her brother away (bottom left) to grab a floral bite

We have found, too, from a friend on Bunspace (see the Spots here and here) that rabbits enjoy the branches as well (thorns removed). Just to see what the big deal was I ate a Rose petal and found it quite good. It does taste mildly like it smells with a lingering atmosphere of rose. It has a wonderful mouth feel and slightly astringes the mouth in a not unpleasant way. I found a recipe for Rose Petal scones that I'm going to try when I get my grain mill up and running (I have to buy some Spelt). Though I will substitute almonds for pistachios and leave off the icing.... Tyler and Sydney will disapprove of that use of Roses, I am sure......

Tyler has an eye for Roses

With THREE WEEKS off for Spring Break I am working hard every day on a print. When I am carving away the Spots like to come in and gnaw on wood under the bed, we make very similar sounds. This time the print is of a toad, which, like the Spots, has spots, or as Tyler calls them, splots. The photo is a proof with two colors and black, the colors are way too dark, but I just wanted to see if everything fit. Because I am messy and confined to small space, I had close at hand some paper with bright blue Rhinos from a print that didn't work out, I printed a couple of toad proofs and found later that I loved the way the bright blue looked with the other colors printed sort splotchy. I carved another block of stylized foliage to fit in front and in back of the toad and to print in the light blue. I think if I do the other colors with plenty of Nori (rice paste medium) I can consistently reproduce the look I am after. I am trying to do the eye with gold leaf. I need a little practice at this.......

First proof-way too dark and I am nixing all blue in the areas except for a thin line on the belly. Also need to accentuate the splots on the body and improve leafing technique.

Not perfect, certainly, but I am finding the bright blue too yummy to resist, must have it!!!!! I like the Rhinos, but I think thoughtfully designed foliage will wear better. 

Have a enjoy another week in the Rabbit Centered Universe.

Year of the Ox Proofings

Been working on the Year of the Ox print. Actually this is the second one, I started over having had a bit of a slip with the big chisel. I took the accident as an opportunity to re-design the whole thing. The first image here is a proof of the re-design, it's OK but I don't really see anything in it that would keep people from throwing it away. It's just a bit flat and maybe even a bit boring after a minute or two.

This is four blocks and four impressions.

Mr. Ox got a makeover with some carving and fancy printing techniques. Somewhat jazzier, though the moon is not quite round, I think I can fix that. Hmm, just a bit more carving here and there and maybe this Ox will be ready to fly!

Here I carved away the green that was inside the Ox, added some flecks and did Bokashi (gradation printing) on the mountains and the top of the sky. Four blocks and six impressions.