Weekly Brayer May 23 - 30

**bridog** · #1 05-24-2011, 12:35 PM

I received word in the mail on Friday that I was successful in my bid to obtain funding from our provincial art council for my printmaking based classroom project titled Join Together. This is a project where elementary school students will create a series of color relief prints (large square format) and everyone will explore a common theme in the imagery. The goal is to have one good print on mulberry paper from each student that will be combined together as a large mosaic type mural that can grace the wall of the participating school. I am funded now for six classes to undertake the project so at the moment I am putting together a very thorough package proposal to entice teachers. I would like to get this out to them a.s.a.p. and they will have the summer to mull it over and let me know they would like to participate first thing in the fall when school begins again.
This particular project will incorporate easy kut for older grade levels and styrofoam for younger grades. I am planning to use Akua inks instead of Speedball this time around as I believe they may deliver a better result.

Weather turned chilly again here overnight...had to turn on the furnace again this morning after enjoying temps in mid 20 C range (upper sixties and mid 70's Farenheit) the last week or so. Weatherman has warned us here to expect frost during early morning hours for next couple of days...luckily all my seedlings for the garden are still in trays that can put on covered porch until it warms up again. The joys of micro climates!

plumptan · #2 05-25-2011, 04:13 PM

That sounds like a fun project - I expect teachers will be jumping at the chance to join it. Can you post the final mural when it is done?

I have started my entry for the international print exchange 2011. It is a reduction print of Clifton Suspension Bridge, or I should say, one end of it! My husband and I took a weekend break to Bristol after our wedding back in 2007 and we took a boat ride under the bridge - amazing engineering. We had a proper honeymoon the year after in San Francisco and walked over the Golden Gate Bridge, so I might try my hand at that one next for romance's sake.

I am walking on air today as I have just sold my "first ever" hand designed item - a set of greetings cards with dalmatian dogs made up of dots. My husband bought me a big chocolate cookie to celebrate so I now have a sugar rush too. Happy days!

LynnM · #3 05-25-2011, 06:13 PM

Congratulations, Brian, that's good news! Good luck with the numbers, I am sure you will get what you need, it is a marvellous opportunity for the children.

And Congratulations, Plumtan, always great to make a sale and the first is special!

I have a friend staying with me right now and she wants to learn some printmaking, so it will prompt me to do something.......something will appear soon I hope!

**Diane Cutter** · #4 05-25-2011, 06:25 PM

What a wonderful project, Brian... and it is so encouraging to know Canada supports the arts so well...

I'm mulling over my print for the Baren Japan relief project. I thought I had a pretty solid idea but in working it out it wasn't anything I'd be proud of. So it's back to the drawing board. I need to get on this quickly as it needs to be done by mid-June and, in printmaking, that's like being due tomorrow.

Diane

**bridog** · #5 05-27-2011, 11:29 AM

Plumptan I am also a participant in this years Greendoor IPE exchange
haven't even begun on my contribution as yet...still mulling over ideas for the image. However I will have some time in June and July so will put my energies into this then.
Good news...since my first post in this thread I now have a school commited to my grant project to come work with two grade levels (grades 4 and 5). This is a community school in a small town about 2.5 hours drive from where I reside. They are very excited about doing this.
I have suggested we can make our collective mosaic mural using scratchfoam squares. It would be a good entry level exercise for students of this age group, no dangerous tools to worry about but mainly the cost of materials is kept affordable for the school. I have some connections with other educational institutions and may be able to borrow brayers so that would be another expense they wouldn't have to worry about.

My suggestion was with the extra money saved not having to purchase lino cutter sets and brayers they could then have the mosaic print panels laminated or framed and hang this as a permanent display piece in the schools front lobby.
Currently I am devising a schedule to stay in that community for 8 days and split the sessions into half days for each grade level. Have to fulfill a minimum 20 hours for each grade level. I can apply for a travel bursary that would cover my travel and accommodation costs. With luck this project might get rolling right at the beginning of the new school year in Sept.

jerryglover · #6 05-29-2011, 05:35 AM

"Weather turned chilly again here overnight..."

It's late May and weather here is supposed to be sunny and warm -- perfect tourist time. Instead, it's raining, raining, raining. On Friday night I was in charge of an exhibition four of us are giving in prime touristland, the harbor of the old town. At 8pm I counted ten people on the harbor (when there should have been hundreds) as the thunderstorm boomed overhead, the rain bucketed down, and oh, we had an earthquake just to add to the fun. I sat for two hours in an empty showroom and finally quit early and went to have a drink with some friends who were sheltering from the downpour in a local restaurant.

Usually we LIKE rain. Rain keeps people off the beaches and pushes them into town to spend money they otherwise wouldn't have dreamed of losing -- sorry, "to invest in high class art they otherwise wouldn't have realized they had the opportunity to acquire" -- but in this case, too much rain meant the exhibition was a literal wash-out.

The rain has other side effects, like bonanza time for bugs and fungi on the grapes. The air ought to be hot and dry by now, but it's cool and damp and it ain't good wine-making weather.

The gods are upset with Greece ... putting the gods in second place to bondholders holding Greek debt who presumably are sticking pins in wax dolls of Athena on a daily basis. That may explain the rain.

magrit · #7 05-29-2011, 09:37 AM

We've gotten plenty of rain and storms here in Tennessee in the US this spring too. The last one brought quite a few trees down in my neighborhood. But today it is finally sunny, and should get up towards 90 degrees too! And I'm just about to head out to Mississippi to get my new press. It'll probably take about 7 hours driving, so I'll get a motel room and be back home with my baby tomorrow. I don't have air in my van, so it will be a warm drive, but I'm just so glad it's not raining, and no tornados either! I'll be back with a report and pics when I get home.

**Diane Cutter** · #8 05-29-2011, 12:37 PM

It must be raining the whole world over...

We've been having a tremendous amount also. The nice part is that is seems to be keeping our evening cooler than normal at this time of year. The bad is I am noticing some of my older papers are smelling musty... time to toss them rather than save moldy printmaking papers.

Diane

plumptan · #9 05-29-2011, 01:30 PM

Hardly any rain here since March - it is a right old worry as it looks like there is going to be a hay shortage for the second year running. My poor wallet!

Greg Long · #10 05-30-2011, 07:00 AM

It's been raining here, with strong winds to boot, plus it is decidedly chilly for th elast month

On the bright side, I've been busy in the studio, experimenting with my lino blocks and different papers... go figure a relatively cheap smooth 100lb cartridge paper takes my inks best.

**Diane Cutter** · #11 05-30-2011, 03:27 PM

I was ruthless today and tossed about 100 sheets of my older papers... Actually they are not tossed but have been donated to the gallery for the elementary art classes.

It's still extremely humid. In fact I also got rid of some older artwork. Here is an example of what can happen to colored pencil on Wallis paper if it hasn't been properly framed and lives in a humid climate...

((SIGH))
Diane

Bees-in-Art · #12 05-31-2011, 03:23 PM

Sorry to see your flower all smudged Diane. Maybe it's rescuable?

I've just been trying to rub off some mysterious smudges on a pencil drawing of mine. We were very perplexed as to where they'd come from? Then it dawned on me: the whippet! He's forever leaving smudge marks on the windows with his wet nose. Now he's done the same to my drawing and they won't rub off. Debbie says the drawing is now mixed media.

Andrew

**Diane Cutter** · #13 05-31-2011, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bees-in-Art

Sorry to see your flower all smudged Diane. Maybe it's rescuable?

No, not really. It's mold and will only come back. Since it's colored pencil, I can scrap but not sure it's worth it.

I called the realtor today and she says the appraiser will take another week or so... I'm trying to be patient.

Diane

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