Tyson

A while back I was hanging out with my friend Tyson and I happened to snap a photograph of him when he wasn't looking. Months later that photo would become the starting point for my most complex wood block print to date.

The reason that I loved this photo so much was because it captured Tyson in a rare state. Normally, Tyson is a just a pure force of chaotic energy. The air around him feels the way static sounds on a T.V. or radio. His mind and his body nervously jump from one stimulus to the next. But on his patio he is completely different. He sits still, his eyes focus into the distance, and if you listen carefully you can hear him exhale as he thinks about something he's not ready to talk about. He adjusts his weight, comfortable in this moment of quiet calm. 

Months later I came across the photo and decided to make it into a wood block print. 

Even though this piece is small it is very complex. Each color was carved on a separate board of wood, all the paint colors had to be mixed by hand, and each board had to be run through the press individually.  Each piece of paper had to be run through the press six times with the wood blocks in a particular order so the colors would layer properly forming the desired image. 

Although I love the photograph of Tyson I think the print represents him better. All the elements hold together loosely to create an image that is relaxed but holds enormous kinetic potential. 

Buddha

This is another miniature wood block print. A 2"x2" Buddha based on a sculpture that I had seen in the Boston Museum of Art.

Peaceful gesture, simple lines, soft expression. Even the way the ink transfered on the paper is reminiscent of its inspiration made of stone. 

He sits in quiet composure; nestled in a carved white frame on my bookshelf. He reminds me to take deep breaths every once in a while. 

Miniature Wood Block

For one of my printmaking classes we had an assignment to make a print that was 2"x2". At the beginning of the class I had some reservations about my skill as a carver so I stuck to larger prints to prevent myself from becoming obsessive over detail work. At this point my smallest print was just under two feet across. However, I felt like my abilities were improving and I decided to jump into that challenge. 

I looked back through some photographs I had taken for some inspiration. I found a picture I had taken in the Boston Museum of Art. It was a picture of a Japanese screen print; a skyline set against an atmosphere full of the serene peaches and pinks of a sunrise. The photo I took didn't do the original justice so I decided to recreate it as a print. 

Originally I had only intended to to make it a black and white print, which is why I filled the sky with lines. As I was testing the print I realized it was lacking that punch from the colors so I added another block for the sky. I got ambitious and bought these vibrant colors. I mixed them on the table and smashed them onto the roller so it would appear as a smooth transition. This was the first time I had ever used color inks for a print and I was already mixing them and adding layers. I was so worried that I was getting ahead of myself. 

But when I saw how the first one turned out - I fell in love. It was a very tiny, abstracted version of the original masterpiece still hanging in Boston, but I felt as though I had finally done it justice. The lines ripping through the sky made it more dynamic and unique to my style. And the colors I was so worried about ended up transferring beautifully. 

I was so excited about how they turned out that I ended up making about forty of them. I use them when I make my home made cards. If you are lucky, you just might get one. 

Nike Print

My favorite artist is a man named Albrecht Durer. He was a German painter and printmaker. What I love about Albrecht Durer was the seemingly endless detail in his prints and his ability to capture the personality of his subjects in his portrait painting. He was also know for his great curiosity and love of travel. 

I decided to take up printmaking because of my background with graphic design. I wanted to model one of my prints after a piece of art by Albrecht Durer. However, I knew my approach to making the print would have to be very different. Albrecht Durer was a perfectionist and almost fanatical about detail. I, on the other hand, am relatively new to printmaking. I wanted to focus more on the image and getting acquainted with the materials. I chose to create a large image on a rough piece of board to prevent myself from being too overly concerned with detail. 

I modeled this piece after Albrecht Durer's engraving Nemeis.

I was very pleased with the way this print came out.  I love the textures and patterns I was able to get, especially in the background. It ended up have a very expressive feel because the wood grain pattern was so erratic. Because I was so happy with the way this came out, I found ways to keep taking it further.

The color in this print was achieved through chine-colle. Chine-colle is a method where colored paper is added to the main piece of paper before it is printed. 

As a nod to my graphic design background I continued the chine-colle series based on the CMYK color model.

I also ended up taking the cut-outs from the previous prints and used them to create this image.