Author: Ken

Bear Under a New Star – woodcut Work In Progress

I liked my christmas card – Bear In The Woods – so much I decided to carve it poster size 16×20″ Here’s a little animation of the carving process. I’ll update when it goes through the press tonight or tomorrow at the latest.

After a busy week of studio work and traveling to see family, I was greeted by 4 new cans of printmaking ink. It was delivered to my doorstep.For the next week, you can find me busy carving, mixing ink and printmaking like a madman. 

I’m still carving: haven’t had a chance to print these new colors yet. I did get to test them on paper–to see how they look. My favorite blue is pthalo, so I’m hopeful I can learn to work with ultramarine.

Here’s a preview of what I’m carving today. It’s the courthouse and church at Versailles, KY. The street in front of the courthouse is US ROUTE 62: one of the old highways from the 1930’s. It happens to also go right by my house and studio in Old Washington!

I’ve been printing, printing, printing this week at the cabin. Our first open to the public event at the LOG CABIN PRINT SHOP is coming up THIS WEEKEND. We are giving a FREE ACTIVITY: use our old-fashioned press to make your own Christmas card.

If you can’t make the trek to Old Washington, I’ll also be at my studio at the Pendleton Art Center, THIS FRIDAY for FINAL FRIDAY.

Yup, a busy week ahead. Videos about art and printmaking on social media are fun, but but the EXPERIENCE IS EVEN FUNNER to see and print in real life. Come see me if you can!

Sometimes I get so excited about the ‘latest’ project, I forget to show you all the finished work.

Here are a few updates of the latest prints.

I have been trying to work larger with my woodcuts, and for some reason (the holidays) I have been spending a lot of time making tiny little greeting cards. They are fun, but not helping me get closer to my goal of making big woodcuts.

So last night, I started a new woodcut.

I stayed up late into the night, and am still cutting this morning

my goal is to have it finished today or tomorrow…provided my hands don’t cramp up

stay tuned for more soon!

PROGRESS REPORT:

I am working on a project about US Route 62, and wanted to make greeting cards that I can mail to friends while traveling the historic highway (1930)

Will carve later this evening and update with photos of the finished print.

GREETINGS FROM HISTORIC US ROUTE 62

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can share my latest designs for this year’s Christmas Cards!!! They are still wet, and drying, but I will have them available on my website early next week.

FUN FACT: this video was made entirely with my phone and tablet. I’m getting ready to take a trip, where I won’t have access to a computer and I wanted to see how much editing I can do using only mobile devices

i was busy with some other projects and did not get to print today, but I DID get to carve another candidate for this year’s Christmas card.

I liked the bear in yesterday’s card so much, I thought it deserved its own design. hopefully, I’ll get to print both tomorrow.

you might remember last years Christmas card. it was of barnyard animals sitting under a bright, new star. see it here.

today I started my 2018 Christmas card. I wanted to stay with the new star theme… but with woodland animals!

I’m going to print it tomorrow afternoon, and will share print pictures of the final woodcut.