Overthinking Every Thing

Note to Self.

In January I got an iphone. I feel like I was one of the last people on earth with a flip-phone, (a little red one that was literally falling apart) and although I made the switch with some reservations, I've mostly been happy with my new gadget. Particularly for the camera feature, which is the whole reason I am rambling on about my cell phone in this blog post. These pictures were all taken in February up at Penland, when I was working in the Printmaking studio. And there were wonderful walks on cold days that looked like this....

Craft Tracks

Rectangles are so over.

 I've been doing tons of printing of old and new etching plates, several layers in translucent colors, almost all on kitakata paper. Then I've been cutting them into shapes.

My relationship with printmaking has matured and changed so much since I was a student (a full-time student, I mean) and I feel good about what I'm doing. I'm printing material, "stuff," that will become something else...components of installations, elements of a book....I'm excited by the potential of layering the fragments, and making work that is "bookish" and feels more like an object than a picture. I'm exploring ways of making wall-based work that does not feel like it needs to be in a frame.

A bunch.

That was a bit of a ramble. Anyway, that's what I've been working on and thinking about in brief. I'll take some better, non-iphone pictures soon.

My Kickstarter project, Paper Trail, is almost 50% funded, and I want to say THANK YOU again to my supporters! Funding is creeping along, though, and it has occurred to me that this may be a challenging time of year to do a project like this. I'd appreciate your help in spreading the word about it; every little bit counts!

Thank you for reading!

Is 'temporariness' a word?

The snow didn't last long...

Except on these steps...

This grew yesterday. Give me a big wall, and I'll pin things all over it.

I just want to make temporary arrangements. 

Michelle, why does everything you do have to be complicated?

Mmm, translucent (wet) kitakata paper over other paper and etching plate. 

Drying leafy bits.

Inside.

Delightful outside on this snowy Saturday in February. Inside the studio is more confusing than delightful. Experiencing highs and lows, and asking myself lots of questions. Like...

1. Haven't I done this exact same thing before?
2. Is this too precious? (pretty? boring? fussy? pink? brown?)
3. What if I cut apart (whatever)?
4. What if I connect (whatever) to (whatever else)?
5. What if I sew on this?
6. But, WHY am I sewing?
7. Wouldn't this be impossible to photograph?
8. Shouldn't this be huge?
9. But also somehow tiny?
10. Shouldn't I try to do something I've never ever done before? 

...which is usually followed again by question number one.

My work has always had some cyclical elements to it, so I guess it makes sense that I am running around in circles in my brain....I am reminded of the three-legged screaming thing....

Again.

Okay. Pictures.

boring.

eh.

yeah.

had to do this; I think I still like it...

...maybe. temporary arrangement. pinned bits.

inevitable.

predictable.

Penland's printmaking studio.

Penland's printmaking studio.

Thank you for taking a look.

Parts of Parts.

What I've been working on: Portions of zinc plates, partially inked, printed on odd bits of kitakata paper. I'm in research & development mode, so I'm not sure yet what the final work will be...

...and these are just quick odd-tinted snaps of parts of things...

parts of parts.

click for glorious detail.

Brought to you (in part) by coca-cola.

Also drawing on a pronto plate...

In winter you can see mountain ridges that are obstructed by
leaves the rest of the year.  Penland feels much higher.

A big etching plate with droplets.

And yeah, That's how I hold my writing/drawing tools.

three-legged screaming thing, part two.

Long morning and afternoon printing. Good. Tired now. Covered in ink. Intaglio muscles sore. More printing (and teaching) tomorrow. I'll take some pictures of the actual prints too. (I can't help myself...I am more interested in documenting my tarletons and piles of ink.)


Unintentional muppet-y colors. Well, maybe a little intentional. And picture me in pink gloves and pink corduroy pants.

Really.

What am I printing? I'm down to the wire working on my edition for the Varied Edition Portfolio for the Dirty Printmakers of America's "States of the State" project. (Whew, I'm not even sure I followed that....) I'm very excited about my prints, and even more excited to be in a VARIED edition portfolio.

Hoopla!

Etching plates.

I have been printing some big etching plates this week. I love the way my in-progress plates look....See if you don't agree!