KenSwinson.com

Category: Log Cabin Print Shop

  • back in the print shop 3 July 2020

    After a pottery intensive month (june) i found my way back into the print shop.

    linocuts hanging in a rack with 'love one another' design
    Love One Another – ink on paper

    I printed some of my “Love One Another” prints. Most were on paper. A few of the artists at the Log Cabin Print Shop are textile artists. Watching them over the past year has inspired me to think outside ink on paper, and to print my design on fabric.

    printing on fabric with linocut
    using the press to print a design on fabric
    animation of artist holding hand printed fabric
    Print on fabric is fun!

    Ok, i’ll tell the truth. I did not have a pottery free day. I DID also make these cream pitchers. What can i say? I might be a pottery addict!

    greenware hand thrown pitchers

  • 30 June 2020 – printing ink and playing in mud

    I spent the last day of June split between the clay studio and the printshop.

    US Route 62 Linocut - with map in background
    The finished block. Ready for ink!

    I have been working on a special print for one of my US Route 62 neighbors who lives all the way over in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

    Us Route 62 linocut notecards in drying rack
    The finished print. Hanging to dry

    Today I got to put first ink on the block and then print an edition at the log cabin print shop.

    pottery being underglazed
    Pots in progress

    After printing, I had some time to put some handles on mugs, put some glaze on bowls, and then throw a few cream pitchers and bowls

    pottery forms on the wheel
    Bowls and creamers just thrown from the wheel.

  • Wedding Invitations – a woodcut project

    I recently completed an exciting printmaking project; wedding invitations!!!!! The original idea was to have the bride and groom help print them at the cabin, but we’ve had to change our plans to stay safe….still, what a cool invitation, a hand printed, limited editon woodcut?! I’m so honored to have been asked to do this! Thank you and Congratulations! Jessica and Jonathan!

    Work In Progress Wedding Invitation Woodcut
    Carving the Woodblock
    woodcut ready to print
    Finished Carving and ready to print!
    first proof of woodcut
    the first proof
    woodcut wedding invitation with matching box
    All invitations were signed and numbered as a limited edition
    wedding Invitation box
    The invitations were delivered in a box, decorated with proofs from the invitation, and can be used as a keepsake.

  • Transferring woodcuts onto pottery – via screenprint

    I work in a lot of different media, and am always looking for ways to cross the different mediums. One dream I have is printing woodcuts onto ceramic. After some research, I learned that the woodcut process does not work well with ceramic materials, but screenprinting does.

    screens for screenprinting

    Using a technique that i learned while studying in Oaxaca, Mexico, I copied a few of my favorite woodcut designs onto a screen

    silkscreen loaded with blue ceramic underglaze

    then printed the designs onto rice paper using ceramic underglaze as the ‘ink’

    screen printed design using ceramic underglaze on rice paper

    then, i transferred the underglaze onto unfired clay…in a technique similar to old fashioned temporary tattoos

    rice paper decal of squirrel playing fiddle and banjo
    animation of rice paper being removed from clay surface.
    an underglaze plate covered with blue pig and acorn decals
    a plate, decorated with my woodcut designs!
    holding a greenware mug with decal of squirrel playing guitar
    a mug, decorated and ready to fire!
    holding a small greenware pitcher decorated with blue pig with acorns and oak leaves
    …and a pig on a mug…keep watching to see how they look ofter the firing!

  • Thinking about current events

    red linocut with houses and hearts with text Love One Another

    I AM watching the news, and I don’t want you all to think that I have my head buried in the sand, and am just happily in my own little world, making art. I see what’s happening to us, and it hurts me deeply. I don’t know what I can do to make it better, so I share things that help me and others feel good, and encourage them to work on their own creative projects. Art is a great way to deal with feelings. For me, art is a therapy, and there are a lot of studies that show it really does cause positive things to happen in the brain. There are also studies that show that social media is causing psychological and social problems…

    i don’t use social media for politics. In my perspective, it’s a terrible way to try and have dialogue about divisive issues. I’ve watched friendships end and families grow further apart because of the way social media brings out, and magnifies the worst in some people. (i guess it’s profitable, or the tech companies just like to destroy people’s lives) I have friends from a wide range of perspectives, who I know in real life, and I can tell you, we have more in common than social media would have us believe.

    I believe that religion is personal, and I don’t talk about it on social media (for the same reasons). Since it’s Sunday, and I think it is important, I will share with you that I believe that we are ALL children of God, we are ALL brothers and sisters. EVERYONE deserves to be treated with respect, fairness and dignity. I believe (and I’m trying to be better at) following Christ’s teaching to love thy neighbor as thyself. I know this is a crazy time, and everyone is scared and angry a suffering loss and going through a million other feelings right now. I hope that all of these challenges we are going through has some kind of meaning, and, in the end, we use this experience to lift each other up, and become better neighbors.

    I’m scared, and feel helpless and angry, but I also feel more connected, and a feeling of togetherness with you all (even if we have to stay 6 feet apart). You have gotten me through, what is possibly the biggest trial of my lifetime. Since social media isn’t going away, let’s use it to keep the good vibes going, and try to have a little more understanding and empathy toward each other…this is HARD, but we will get through this together.

  • pig eating acorns – new woodcut

    I had this idea of a woodcut; a pig wandering in the woods, eating wild acrons, and I couldn’t wait to carve him out. isn’t he stinking CUTE!?!? oink! oink!

  • Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

    I’m a lifetime learner, and student for life, so teachers have a special place in my heart! Thanks to all the teachers for making our community a better place!

    linocut of apple sitting on top of stack of books with text Teachers are heroes, thank you for your service

    Here’s a linocut that I made a few years ago for a project, called ArtZine. Visiting and local artists met in a different small town each month to create a ‘zine’ . The theme for November in Vanceburg, KY was GRATITUDE, and this was my entry.

    Feel free to click the image above to download and print your own copy of the linocut that you can print and share with the teachers in your life.

  • Home Is Where Your Mom Is

    Mother’s Day is less than 2 weeks away, so I’ve been brainstorming ideas for a Mother’s Day card to send to my mom. After working the design out on paper, i’m ready to transfer it to a wood block.

    sketch of birds around text: home is where your mom is
    block ready to carve with birds and text: home is where your mom is
    the carving begins!
    carved block for woodcut print
    ready to print!
    finished woodcut: home is where your mom is

  • We will get through this together-linocut

    My latest linocut!

    This will be a greeting card to share with friends and family who might feel alone right now.

    i assume all kentuckians know where this phrase comes from. for those who don’t, every day, our governor addresses the state for an update re: covid 19. He always starts saying this, then encourages us to say it together. his demeanor and team spirit has calmed me down on more than a few moments during this anxious time.

    I know that a lot of people are experiencing economic insecurity right now, and would enjoy this image, but can’t buy a card right now. I would NEVER encourage digital printing of a hand printed work of art, but these are serious times. If you would like to download a high resolution copy of this art to print and share (for personal use only) follow this link.

    https://www.kenswinson.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/GetThroughThisTogether.jpg

    Below is the step by step process:
    A rough sketch for today’s linocut. This will be a greeting card to share with friends and family who might feel alone right now.

    sketch of birds and text: we will get through this together

     I used my iPad to do some fine tuning on my design. Now I’m ready to transfer it to a block for carving.

    ipad layout of birds with text: we will get through this together
    design on linoleum block-ready to carve
    design transferred, and ready to carve!
    starting to carve a linoleum block print

    Carving. I included my finger in the photo to give you a sense of details and scale. I’ve been carving a lot of wood lately, compared to it, the limo cuts lite butter!

    half carved linoleum block print with hand in beside it
    a little bit over 1/3 done
    linoleum block print work in progress with governors speech being played on a cell phone
    YOU ALL KNOW NOT TO TRY CALLING ME BETWEEN 5 AND 6 PM. carving during the governors update
    carved block of linoleum- birds with text: we will get through this together
    Carving Done! Time To Print!

    multi colored woodcut with text: we will get through this together

  • Dishwasher bunny

    I’m about to start the 4th in my dust bunny series of bunnies spring cleaning. Today’s woodcut is dishwashing!

    woodblock on table with knives and cup of tea
    the design is sketched out on the block. Time to start carving!

    This is the first indoor scene. I have been using a similar pattern to represent clouds, but for this scene, I’ll use the same pattern to represent soapy dishwater.

    close up photo of woocut details
    soapy water?!
    woodut work in progress with knives in background

    Almost there!!! Still some details to carve, then I’ll be ready to print!

    carved woodcut of bunny washing dishes

    Not sure what I was thinking when I gave this dust bunny modern appliances. THEY took more carving than the rest in of the design. Ok, let’s take it to the cabin to put some unknown paper!

    test proof in brown of bunny rabbit washing dishes
    the test proof!

    Overall, I’m happy with it. I might have made some different choices (no modern appliances) in parts of the design, but it’s still cute as a button, and will be a good addition to my army of dust bunnies, who are going to do all my spring cleaning for me!

    Time to print!

    brown woodcut of bunny rabbit washing dishes
    laundry bunny

    you can support my work and add this to your collection by ordering below.