News

"Vision." Monotype, 7 x 5 inches.

This brand-spanking-new monotype was delivered to Art of Framing in San Diego on Wednesday, along with some other new monotypes and small paintings. I even managed to do a small amount of exploring in San Diego, which was a major step for me. (I am terrified of the city, and in particular, the traffic.) I found a wonderful little cluster of galleries in a part of town called "Little Italy." I hope to go back when I have a little more time, and maybe when I can convince a friend to go with me.

Got some REALLY exciting news: M might actually be coming home tomorrow night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoa! I had to spend the day clearing paintings and boxes out of the way, so that he doesn't feel like his whole house has been overtaken with art. Even after a day of working on this particular task, I realize he may still feel like his whole house has been overtaken with art. It's his own fault, for leaving me alone with paint and brushes for such a long time. Right? Right.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone. I am thankful to you all, for reading and for your comments and feedback.

Count down

Number of times I cursed the wind this week: five.

Number of times Pono woke us up last night (having eaten a rabbit carcass and gotten diarrhea): four.

Number of fig bars I  had to eat to work up the courage to go in the studio today:  three.

Number of hummingbirds I was distracted by today:  two.
Number of paintings I completed today:  one.  (wimpy!)

A recent monotype, where I inked the whole plate and wiped away anything that didn't look like roadrunner. 

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

North Wind Blows

The sun is shining, but when one steps outside, the wind bites a bit too much.  At least for this desert girl.  Nevertheless, the blooms of the desert are reassuring, reminding of the inevitable change from winter to spring.  Soon, it will be hot hot hot. 

A new monotype. 

The last blossoms of the purple flowering vine in the front yard, which smell exactly like grape kool-aid.

And finally, the stems of the desert trumpet, curious and wonderful.

Happy Friday, all of you darling readers!

Monotypes

As promised, I have some photos of the new monotypes to share with you.   All three of them were hand pulled, using my trusty wooden spoon, and they measure 5 x 7 inches. 

This one I think I will call "Hot Air Balloons."

The warm desert sun has returned, and it is slowly drying up the mud puddles.  We have rain forecast for Wednesday, once again.  So much rain for this dry desert, we just don't know what to do with ourselves.  It is just the opposite of Colorado.  Here, they have to plow the gravel and sand off of the roads after a heavy rain.  The water washes the gravel and sand over the roads, making driving a challenge.  In Colorado, they plowed the snow off of the roads and ADDED sand and gravel for traction.  For some reason, that distinction has stuck with me.  When you are in a new place, it is the little differences that somehow seem more poignant.  I can't explain it.

This is a short, wimpy post, I know!  Just don't have much to say. 

This little Gold Cottontail I reworked in pastel after it had dried.

Monday's Roadrunner

Good morning!  The desert mornings have been fantastic.  I am thankful for my dog, Pono, because he gets me out walking and running every morning, even if I don't want to.  The thing is, once I get outside, I am so glad I did!  What a great way to start the day.  We have had a mild fall, without much wind, without much cold.  Highs are usually in the 60's.  This weather suits me just fine.  The road runners like it, too.

I head to Colorado tomorrow, to bring art to Framed Image in Denver for my show with a talented artist named Susan Harrington.  It is so exciting to have an opportunity to show with such a wonderful painter!  Here is a photo of one of her watercolor paintings.  It's called "Jubilation", and it measures 37 x 57 inches.  I can't wait to see it in person.  She also paints in oil and does monotypes.  If you are in the area, the opening reception is on Thursday, December 3rd from 4 to 7 pm.  I would love to see you!

I did get a chance to print some new monotypes last Friday.  I am hoping they dry in time for me to take them to Colorado with me.  This little monotype of mine was not printed Friday, but it is a recent one.  It measures 5 x 7 inches.   I hope to get a chance to post before Thanksgiving, but just in case I don't, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 

Letters

I feel like the luckiest girl. In the mail, just last week, I actually got a letter. A real, bona fide letter! I have been reading posts from fellow bloggers recently, referring to letter writing. This recent attention in letter writing has lead me to make an effort of my own to write letters to people more often. Letter writing is something I used to love to do, and I used to both send and receive letters frequently. With the advent of email and facebook, plus all of the other quick and easy online ways to stay in touch, it seemed that my letter writing had fallen by the wayside. Picking up a pen and hand writing to a friend felt like a homecoming, of sorts. I wouldn't necessarily say that I was writing so that I would receive a letter in return for my efforts, even though getting a letter is such a delight. No, I simply wanted to write letters, and show my love for people in this way. I do receive letters in return from one of these dear people, and I am always delighted. But the letter I received last week was unexpected in the most wonderful way!

This letter came from a friend and fellow artist who I knew in Salida, CO. Her name is Cindy Heller (hi Cindy!) and I hadn't really heard from her since moving away. As it turns out, she has been following my blog, but hasn't posted comments so that I knew she was out there, reading. How cool is that? Cindy makes the most wonderful art dolls. I actually have given a home to one of these wonderful dolls. I had the privilege of selling these wonderful creations in my gallery, Cool Mountain Art. I am so happy to find out that I have another fan of my blog, especially one who is so dear to my heart. Thank you, Cindy, both for following the blog and for your divine letter! Here is a photo of the "Wise Woman" doll that I own. I consider these dolls to be dolls for grown girls, because they have wonderful, inspirational sayings on them. This doll says "I color outside the lines." (in case you can't read it.) I never colored outside the lines as a kid, but I am learning to be brave and do so as an adult!

I leave you with another photo of a new monotype. This one is of the ubiquitous desert quail, the Gambel's Quail. I love these funny birds! Their fancy topknot brings to mind a lady with a plumed hat, dressed to go out on the town. They make lots of noise, but are, at the same time, very skittish. I enjoy their antics, and have done little sketches of them as they forage around our desert home. This monotype is a result of one of those tiny sketches, and it measures 7 x 5 inches.


Once again, I want to thank you all for reading my blog. This is for those of you who come by, read and comment regularly and for those of you who pop over once or twice, leaving no trace of your visit. I appreciate each and every one of you, and it is for you that I find the desire to write. THANKS!

Birds!

Long hours have been spent in the studio, making new monotypes. I have found a lighter weight printmaking paper that is enabling me to get better prints without a printing press, and I am having lots of fun. In my sketchbook, I have many tiny sketches of animals. The sketchbook itself is small - about 6 x 5 inches. So these sketches of animals are often dime-sized or smaller. They are just little quick sketches I do of the animals I see outside the window. As it turns out, many of them happen to be birds. Some of them were so much fun, that I decided to use them for making monotypes. I drew larger versions of these little sketches onto cardboard. (I save cardboard from boxes of crackers, cereal, or other food items.) I then cut the drawings out. Then, they get ink rolled on them, are placed on top of an inked plate, and are printed onto my printmaking paper. I have been using a baren, a pin press and a wooden spoon to apply pressure. For a step by step tutorial on how I print monotypes without a press, click here.

Here are a few of the results. The first one (at the top of this post) is called "Inquiry II", and measures 10 x 8 inches. The next one is untitled, and measures 5 x 7 inches.


This one is "Calling II" and measures 8 x 10 inches.


I hope to have a few of the new ones listed for sale in my etsy shop by the end of the week. I will be sure to let you know when that happens!

A Friday night

I wonder how many people are posting to their blog on a Friday night. It's not that there aren't social events I could be attending. There are. A couple of events, in fact, are happening tonight that I could be attending. But here I sit, in front of the computer, posting on the blog instead. You are my newest love, blog readers. How could I go anywhere when I am only thinking of you???

Here is another new monotype from the last session of printmaking. Orange Bird, measuring 7 x 5 inches for the art, came from a dime sized sketch of a cactus wren in my sketchbook. I then drew the sketch onto cardboard, cut it out, and used it for this monotype. I love how the cardboard embosses onto the paper, so the edges around the bird are in relief. There is really no way to describe how fun this process is!


I hope you all have a divine weekend. I am headed for Long Beach tomorrow for the opening of Desert Winds at Spezzano Art Gallery. It's ever so exciting!!!! I am delighted about the prospect of being near the ocean once again. I will definitely have to dip a toe in, if not submerse myself completely in the magic salt water. I will return to again, my dear readers, with salty hair and a grin on my face, once the weekend is over. Until then, aloha!

A Treasury!

Hello everyone!

Well, I was hoping I would be more frequent with my blog posts last week, but I was not. You see, the sun came out and it was about 80 degrees and sunny and warm. So I had a very hard time sitting in front of the computer or doing anything at all indoors! I spent most of the week outside, digging in the dirt. Then, I was preparing for house guests, and then, I was entertaining house guests! So that is why my blog posts have dwindled down to nothing for over a week. It is not that I feel I am obligated to tell you why I am not typing away every day, but when I make promises I like to keep them. So I feel, in a way, that I have let you down. I will do my BEST to supply you with new flower photos this week. NO SLACKING OFF!!!

Some exciting news: I have one of my monotypes featured in a treasury on etsy!

Click here to see it.

New monotypes are being added to my etsy shop, so please check back. There are some favorites there! Here is a photo of one of them.


This week, I will be a faithful blogger and do my utmost not to abandon my beloved readers and flower seekers.

Not much to say

Hi Everyone. I am sitting at my laptop, looking out at the night sky and this amazing full moon. I can't seem to focus on anything else but that moon, and even these words are typed with many interruptions, so that I can look at it again. What is it about the moon, anyway? I love it. I love it in all stages, but when it is full it seems to lay a claim on me that is inexplicable.

I haven't posted much lately, mainly because I don't feel like I have much to share of interest. I haven't been doing any art that I want to share. I haven't been taking any photos. Maybe I am just waiting for the days to lengthen and the year to turn over. I really can't say. I just decided I should touch base with you all tonite to say hi. I miss you. I love your comments. I read your blogs (for those blogging souls among you.)

I don't think this brief post is complete without an image of some kind. So I leave you with an old photo. This is a favorite monotype I did while we still lived in Colorado. It is 7 x 5 inches, and I called it "Opulence". Happy weekend!

Things I've done, things I haven't done

I got this from Carla's blog. You are supposed to bold the things you have done. FUN!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does playing in a quartet count? I played the violin.)
4. Visited Hawaii (lived there.)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (wrote an illustrated story about it, too!)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (does picking up hitch hikers count?)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (I've only visited SOUTH Africa, not the same)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (both!)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper(just live in a small town and this one is easy)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury!
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Quick post

One of the coolest things about desert plants is that they are opportunistic. If they get enough rain, they bloom! So I stumbled upon a paper bag bush in bloom a couple of days ago, and here is the photo. What a cool bush.

Just a quick post, because I have been working on the computer all day, and I am tired!

I got selected to be a juror! The trial starts tomorrow, and the judge said it could last until the 22nd of November! wow. So, even though I cannot blog about the case, I am excited to be a part of this important aspect of a free society.

Here is a monotype for you to enjoy, until I have a chance to write a more lengthy post. This one measures 14 x 11 inches, and I have entitled it "Blooming". Good night!

Morning light

One thing about having a dog to get you out every morning is that you have the opportunity to enjoy the morning light. It is so beautiful! I have never been a morning person, really. Not until I got this dog was I ever up before 8 am. I used to stay up late at night and sleep most of the day. Pono has reformed me. If I stay in bed too long, the paw comes after me. He bats at the edge of the bed, and whines. If my head is too close to the edge of the bed, the paw may contact my head, which is not a pleasant way to be awakened. So, I drag my lethargic self out of bed, put on the workout clothes, and put shoes on. Pono doesn't get excited until he sees the shoes. That is how he knows it is almost time to go outside. He has even been known to lay down right next to my foot, and put his paw on my foot, or lick the foot, until the shoe is on. It is really cute. Pono loves shoes.

So here are a couple of photos of the desert where we run, with that divine morning light. It still looks somewhat green (for the desert, I mean) since we have gotten a bit of rain recently.

Today will be a day of running errands, but hopefully I can spend a little time, in my constant preparation for Studio Tours!!! I leave you with one of the new monotypes. This one was also inspired by those cactus wrens, since I love them so much.

Art Tours are approaching

I have been working hard, hanging art, mounting art, framing art, printing cards, etc. I am getting ready for the Studio Tours. I think I have talked about it before, but since this is my first year to participate, I am feeling a bit of anxiousness and excitement. I am hoping to make a good impression! For more information about the tours, I would have you click on the link, but I am not sure they have all the information updated yet. So I will tell you what I know. My studio will be open on October 11th and 12th, from 9 to 5 pm. I will have original paintings, monotypes, giclee reproductions, note cards and gifts available for sale. I will be talking about my processes, my inspiration, and whatever else people want to know about my art. I may even have some munchies! There will be other artist's studios open for touring, and a map will be available. (At least that's what I have been told.) For questions about the tour, there is a website with a phone number, or you can email me (karine@karineswenson.com).

There have been many coyote sightings lately. Pono woke us up repeatedly last night, barking at coyotes that got too close to the house. I am tired today, and hoping he decides to sleep tonite. I have also come across a few king snakes during the morning runs with Mr. Pono. (I am quite glad they were king snakes, which are the non-poisonous variety! Especially since I very nearly stepped on one.) It was cooling off for a couple of days, but now we are back up to the nineties during the day, and the 70's at night.

That's about all the desert news for today. I will leave you with another lizard monotype. This one was "re-touched" slightly with pastel after it was dry. I love the colors in this one. It measures 7 x 5 inches for the art.

Sin City

Matthias and I have returned from our mini getaway. I'm sure by now you have guessed - we went to Vegas. Vegas, baby, Vegas. Matthias had to get his Aprilia (this is a motorcycle, for those of you who don't know that) worked on. There isn't much in the way of Aprilia dealers here in the desert, so he found a place in Vegas that had a good reputation. We used it as an excuse to take a little break. Las Vegas is about 3 1/2 hours by car from Joshua Tree. So really, it is a pretty easy drive.

Now, I know what you are thinking. "Is Karine really into gambling or something?" No, in fact, we hardly gambled at all. I think we may have put two dollars into a poker machine. If that. We have found a hotel in the south part of the city that is inexpensive and has a huge king size bed. And a pool! Believe it or not, you can find things to do in this city that have nothing to do with gambling or prostitutes. Seriously! The whole casino thing is a bit like a car crash for me. It's repulsive and yet you can't turn away. The people watching is fascinating. If you are into people watching, which I am.

Then, there is the Bellagio. As much as I love nature, and find infinite inspiration there, I also have a great appreciation for the creations of human beings. This is something that was reinforced for me by a collector friend of mine in Hawaii. The marvels we are capable of!!! Take, for instance, the Chihuly sculpture in the lobby of the Bellagio. If you have never seen Chihuly's work in person, I highly recommend it. It is possible that I have never seen anything so tantalizing for my eyes than Chihuly's glass. This ceiling piece (is it considered a chandelier? I'm not sure) was magnificent. You see me standing in front of it, but here are a few more shots. Wonderful. The way the light delicately passes through the colors of the glass is intoxicating.


There was also this chocolate shop in the Bellagio, with the world's largest chocolate fountain. A chocolate fountain!!!! It is behind glass, in a carefully controlled environment, of course, but still. I found that I had a strong desire to break the glass and immerse myself in the cascading chocolate. And I have stopped eating chocolate. (or at least, I have cut way back.) Incredible stuff. I guess decadence comes in many forms, and we each pick our own poison.




I have more to show you from the Las Vegas trip, but I will save it for another day. This will pale in comparison to the other wonders in this blog, but here in a monotype of mine, from last week. This one is called "Altar", and measures 10 x 8 inches.

Rattlesnakes and desert things

Hello dear blog readers! We are getting ready to leave town for a couple of days, but I wanted to give you a little something to tide you over, since I won't be posting again until we get back. (Either Wednesday or Thursday). The day before yesterday, on our run with the dog, we had a close encounter of the rattlesnake variety. Mr. Slither was sunning himself in the middle of the dirt road where we run, and Matthias nearly stepped right on him! I, of course, panicked and stopped dead. (I am not a huge fan of rattlesnakes.) I began yelling "snake! SNAKE! SNAAAAKE!" Matthias finally got the message. So of course I had to have my photograph. I made Matthias take the photos, though. I couldn't seem to get myself close enough. Here they are! If you feel like a close up, click on the photo.

I also made monotypes on Saturday, and had an okay day. Not quite as good as I had hoped, but still, it is so fun! (Yes, Priya, I am the luckiest girl! If you ever come for a visit, I will make sure you can make monotypes with me.) Here is one of my favorite ones. This is a bigger one, measuring 14 x 11 inches. I called it "Flower in Violet". You will see more when we return!

I am getting prepared for the Studio Tours in October. I will be participating the Weekend of the 11th and 12th, if any of you fancy a visit to the desert!!! Here is the link.

Even more monotypes

I am excited, because I get to go back to my friend Shant's house and use the press again tomorrow! I had fun Wednesday. I am exploring the desert dwellers in full, at the moment. I am sure it won't last, since nothing (besides the figure) really lasts with me. I guess I just like variety. Lots of variety.

Here is another one of the creatures who inspired me. The desert tortoise. If you remember, they briefly come out from underground to trudge around in late spring. (when they can feast on all of the flowers and green things.) Then, when the weather begins to really heat up, they burrow back down into the cool ground. I had taken a few photos of them when they were out, if you recall. This little monotype is from one of those photos. I cut the tortoise shape out of some cardboard (I drew it out first - I am not so good at free hand scissors.) The cardboard tortoise then gets placed on top of the plate after inking. I think this one might be my favorite.

I hope you all have a lovely, lovely weekend! I think I have the best blog readers!!! I DO have the best blog readers!

Monotypes with "critters"

Today I got another chance to use my friend Shant's printing press!!!! It was so much fun. I love monotype making SO MUCH!!! I feel like I just had a day with ice cream at the beach. A great day. Even if I didn't feel like I had as successful a day as the last day with the press, it was still enjoyable.

I am trying some new images with these new monotypes. I decided to incorporate some more recognizable shapes with this series. Yesterday, after my frustrating and unsuccessful search for my beloved watercolors, I sat down and drew some desert creatures on cardboard, and cut them out. Today, they were used to create monotypes. This one is cut from a coffee cup insulator (from Starbucks - thanks Kristi!). That is how this little lizard got such cool striped pajamas. I almost didn't print this lizard, but now I am so glad I did. Sometimes, you don't know how something is going to look, and you just have to ignore your inner critic (as J. Cameron calls it) and keep going.

I hope you all have a lovely evening. I am tired! More critters coming soon!

The dog days of summer

Sunday, 4:00 pm, 100 degrees Farenheit. Where does the term "dog days" come from? click here, if you are curious, like I was.

It must be August. For some reason, at the end of the summer I seem to enter into a phase of ultimate laziness. Is it the heat? I will blame it on a natural rhythm. I will blame it on whatever I can. It seems like all I want to do is sleep and eat ice cream. I am NOT doing that, however. (Well, I guess I have had a little ice cream.) I have actually been busy, preparing for the Studio Tours in October. I have signed up to participate. If you live near Joshua Tree, CA, you can come and visit my studio on October 11 & 12th! I will have original oil paintings, monotypes, giclee reproductions, cards, and even some gift items, which I will feature on this blog soon!

I leave you with another monotype. This one I reworked in pastel after it was dry. It's called "Turning Point". It looks much better in person, but I am too tired of the computer to fix it. Maybe later.

Process

Here is another monotype from Saturday. I have talked about monotypes before, but I wonder if there are newcomers to my blog who may not know what a monotype is. For those of you who know, you can skip the next three paragraphs. A monotype is a cross between painting and printmaking. The artist (me, in this case) applies paint or ink directly onto a plexi glass plate. I use etching inks. Most often, I use a tool called a brayer to apply the ink. I will take a photo of one tomorrow and post it. You can also use a paintbrush or palette knife to apply the ink, if you wish. I usually draw right into the ink using various tools (my favorite being a McDonald's stir stick!). Once I have the background color the way I want, I like to put things on top of the background ink colors. Leaves, feathers, wire, and things I have cut out of cardboard or styrofoam. I save lots of cardboard from food boxes. My favorite kind of cardboard is cardboard with texture, like the insulating sleeves they give you with a cup of hot coffee at the coffee shop. Since I don't drink coffee, you will sometimes find me digging in trash cans, hopefully when no one is looking.

Once I have the plate looking the way I think I want it, I dampen a sheet of printmaking paper. I place the plexi glass plate on the bed of the printing press, place the damp paper over the top of it, and crank the wheel of the press. The press does just what you might think: it PRESSES the paper and the plate together with lots and lots of pressure. Basically, I am pressing the painting onto the paper. The press provides really wonderful textures that would be impossible to achieve with a brush on canvas. (I have tried to duplicate it, so I am confident in writing that.) The most exciting part of the process is when I lift the edge of the paper to see how it looks. Even though I have a good idea how most of it will turn out, there is always something unexpected that happens with the print when it goes through the press. It is so much fun! The pressure from the press will also create an impression in the paper of the edges of the objects I placed on top of the plate. This gives the print a really nice dimensional quality that I love.

The plate does not get carved into or permanently altered, so each print is one of a kind. Even if I were to print the same plate again without wiping it clean first, the second pressing is completely different from the first. So each print is unique. "Mono" means "one". A Monotype is an original, one-of-a-kind piece of art. I love creating them! Hopefully, if you didn't know what a monotype was before, I have helped shed some light on the subject for you.

With this particular print, I went back in after it was dry and added some pastel. I just wanted to bring the bird out a little more, and the "bird food" underneath it. I could have also used paint or ink to rework the monotype. This one is called "Pecking 2", and it measures 10 x 8 inches. The paper is larger than the print. I have given dimensions of the print only.