going through the portfolio...

to find items that could work in my Etsy.com shop.  This is an oldie!  A million years ago I taught a relief Printmaking class at Adrian College.  It was one of my favorite classes to teach.  It was often my second or third class with the students,...it was a small class...and we always had a lovely time.  And rarely did someone contaminate a can of ink with another color!

At the end of the semester, we would do a print exchange.  I made this little image of a dish rag doll I was given by a little girl I used to babysit.  The doll is one of my favorite things. I have a bunch of different artist proofs around with varying background colors.  It was a delight to see again. 

one of my favorite things to get in the mail...

Is the RISDXYZ.  It is the print magazine for Rhode Island School of Design Alumni.  I am consistently amazed at the talent, scope and ambition of the community I went to school with.  It is remarkable and inspiring.  I often dream that I have gone back to get another Masters degree in painting, sculpture and fibers...to explore the other areas I never had a chance engage in.  This issues cover featured the work of Sophia Narrett, a painter who began embroidering her narratives.    

Stars Align, Sophia Narrett

Something Went Wrong, detail, Sophia Narrett

Along the Vein, Sophia Narrett

I love how she plays with the edge of the frame, with negative space in the interior of the image and with the drips and pulls of embroidery floss that start to feel think like paint.  The images are so layered and full that it takes multiple viewings to really discern the entire narrative.  And the textures and color are so rich and evocative that you can get lost in the beauty of the stitching in and of itself.  Thank you RISDXYX for introducing me to her work!

first etsy.com sale in a long time....

Thank you so much etsy customer for your purchase!  it made my day and it going out in the mail tonight!

my professional....

Facebook page is at least live!  Only two updates and not a lot of photos yet, but please, if you have a chance, and are so inclined, would you drop by, have a look and like?  

I will post my Etsy.com and exhibition updates there are well.  

a perfect mother's day gift...

So my husband got me the most fabulous book for Mother's Day last month...."The Sick Rose: Disease and the Art of Medical Illustration."

There are pages of gorgeous illustrations of the most horrible and terrifying diseases.  

Skin diseases, Leprosy, Parasites, Venereal Disease...the most beautifully rendered decay of the body.  It is glorious and ugly all at the same time.  

I have been wanting to embroider images of scabs, scars, cancers, and diseased organs recently, and have found there is a Mayo Clinic Patient Library with all sorts of resources that might be useful.  I can't wait to get there.  

arrrrrgh.....

So I hear there have been some troubles commenting...and unfortunately, IT support (husband) is out of town.  As far as I can see, the settings seem to allow comments, but I will have to try my giveaway another time.  Until then, I just posted this on nikimade.etsy.com.

"Doll (Stretch)" is one of my three most favorite from this series.  It is so nice to go back to work and remember why it mattered so.  

giveaway...

so a girlfriend just suggested I do a giveaway, and since I am printing extra copies of all my anatomical drawings series before my boys go on a road trip and I lose IT support (husband), let's try it!  Leave a comment in the comments section about your must watch Netflix show/film/special...I am ready to start Season 1 "Better Call Saul" but I also need to get through the current season of "The Americans" on FXNow.  Dilemmas.  I will pick a commenter by random to receive the print "Stomach" that is newly listed at nikimade.etsy.com.  It is printed on archival paper with fade proof ink and fits in a standard 8.5x11 inch frame. If you have any friends that might be interested, please send them this way....I will be choosing a winner at random on on Sunday, June 12 at 9 pm and shipping the print on Monday morning.  

more etsy.com.....

So I just got another listing posted to nikimade.etsy.com.  It has been a long but productive week of learning how to edit in Photoshop and Lightroom, printing on the giant printer, making adjustments and getting proper listings up.  I'm still nervous to do most of it without IT (husband) around...I just have to remember you can't really make a mistake that you can't undo.  Yesterday I even took prints and a frame over to a a friends house and got model home type context shots.  I might be getting professional....

Now if only my computer had enough memory to support all this new stuff I am trying to learn and do...I see an upgrade in my future.  And for sure a grant proposal.