Something Fishy

Finally! I had a chance to develop a solarplate print today. Did a Rainbow Trout as a relief plate and printed using akua ink on arches paper. "Borrowed" some of Tami's watercolors to create the color.

I love trout, and not just because they are fun to catch (and eat). Their patterns and coloring are so amazing; art at its very finest! I'm no where near capturing the brilliance, but I'll get there!

And Now for Something Completely Different...

Since it's been snowing and raining here in beautiful Southern California, I decided to rework a plate with some mish-mash of color and concepts. Used akua inks and some of Tami's stamps. Image size is 11x17. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Yosemite Valley

Finished up a linocut of yet another National Park. Yosemite Valley is one of those places that is surreal in its beauty. Seeing it for the first time is overwhelming; you can't imagine that anything can be so perfect. No wonder that John Muir devoted himself to this wonderful place. This print depicts El Cap and Half Dome with the Merced River flowing through the valley.

Hopefully, I'll be posting some solarplate work soon. Just got a shipment in that I'm dying to try out. We'll see what happens.

And the Winner Is.......

By virtue of a roll of the dice by my lovely assistant, Tami, the winner of the Big Horn Print is

LISA PURCELL

Thanks for commenting and all the positive support. As I print more things, I'll periodically offer some more. Thanks and have a great weekend!

Painting With Light

Back in my old days of 35mm photography, I always wanted to mess with painting with light. But, the turnaround time for film processing, coupled with a lot of hit & miss shots meant it could be costly. No such issue with digital!

The shots are from tonite out on the Rim. Nothing fancy, but fun!

Great Tits & Global Warming!!!

Some stuff you just can't make up. Take, for instance, a recent article in the Los Angeles Times on the effects of global warming on the Great Tits of England.

According to scientists, "few Tits have been analyzed as long as the Great Tits of Wytham Woods, near Oxford. Since 1947, scientists have tracked the fate of nearly every Great Tit, using tiny bracelets." Ouch! They have determined that the Great Tits of England are"thriving and growing in abundance compared to, say, their Danish counterparts, which seem to be shrinking." While I'm sure the blokes in Britain are thrilled, I feel some pain for the gentlemen in the Netherlands.

Being the concerned environmentalist that I am, I decided I need to take a much closer look at the Great Tits. I googled Great Tits and, after filtering out many offers for hot XXX, I found good, reliable information.

I learned from Wikipedia that "Great Tits are easy to recognize" and that they are "large in size at 14 centimeters" (thus making them great, I suppose...). I also found that "Great Tits come in many races." It's so refreshing to know that Great Tits have moved beyond racism to a world only envisioned by civil rights activists.

The website British Garden Birds says that "The Great Tit is the largest of the European Tits." Makes perfect sense to my way of thinking. Anything less would not and could not be great. They also advised that "the Great Tit is doing well and expanding its range and abundance." No doubt assisted by science, i.e. plastic surgery....

And, I learned that Great Tits are not the only Tits out there. From the World Bird Guide, I discovered Stripe Breasted Tits (think Austin Powers?); the Somber Tit (perhaps upset it's not Great); the Elegant Tit (as opposed to the trailer park variety); and in the spirit of equality, the Pere David Tit (freaky, but hey, who am I to question these matters).

So, at least now I know why Al Gore is so passionate about global warming. Aside from weather issues, glacial melt, and drought, that sly dog was all about the Great Tit from the beginning, starting with Tipper way back in the day.

And, I'd rant about the boobies in the Caribbean, but that's a whole other story......

I included a photo just to show how truely beautiful Great Tits are......

Blog Candy Print

I got busy playing with different versions of a print of Big Horn petrogylphs from the Anasazi Tribe. Nice thing about printmaking is that you can experiment over and over with your image. In this case, I played with different layers of color trying to achieve some depth and texture. I used Akua soy based inks on soaked Rising Stonehenge paper. The plate is an intaglio solar plate.

If anyone's interested, I'll offer up a print as blog candy. Just leave a comment and I'll use a sophisticated unbiased means of picking someone (roll dice and pick a number....) I'll include shipping as well and pick someone next Saturday!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there!

Off to the Races

The philosopher Anonymous once said "It's not the size of the dog in a fight, but the size of the fight in the dog...." Never a truer insight, particularly when Shelly and Mabel get out and start doing windsprints.

Testing the sports mode of my new camera (yup, finally committed to getting serious about photography again). Shelly leading with Mabel in hot pursuit. It kinda sounded like "thumpeta, thumpeta, thumpeta....tippity, tippity, tippity. Quite the sight.....

Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow

I just spent 3 days printmaking with Dan Welden, a master printmaker and the creator of solarplate printing. It was an amazing experience, not only for pushing new boundaries, but for meeting some extraordinary local artists.

In the world of printmaking, I'd say I'm a neophyte enthusiast. I'm somewhat rigid to rules as a result of A) being a man, B) being a cop, and C) being a photographer. So when Dan laid down the rules, I was very attentive. Until he got to the final rule... There are no rules. Free your mind!

So, on the final day of class, I'm looking at a ratty plate which I over exposed a portion of it. "Free your mind....." I lopped off the over exposed potion with a cutter and began inking it up. Not the way it was intended, but in whatever way I felt. Throw some color here, some swirl there, burnish a bit there, and SLAP THAT SUCKER ON THE PRESS! Mass hysteria; anarchy.

When I pulled the print from the plate, I was stunned. It was like the part in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy goes from black and white to technicolor. It was an irreverent epiphany.

So, I guess the moral to the story is break some rules and conventions. There may be pay off at the end of it!

Solarplate intaglio printed as a relief with Akua inks on soaked Stonehenge paper. Scroll down a few posts to see the original photo.

The Big , Big World Wide Web

When the WWW came to be, it was heralded as a means of bringing us all a little closer. But, the sometime prevailing imagery is that of a socially awkward person creating an online persona to communicate with other disaffected folks who had created their own virtual personalities.

The web can be a scary place. We have all heard the stories; some true, some firmly entrenched as urban lore. But, amongst all the flotsam and junk, real moments occur where connections are made that finally deliver on that early promise of making the world a smaller place.

Two posts ago, I received an amazing comment from Nina in Copenhagen. She spoke of things that I had posted, her own experiences, and mentioned that she too had stood in nearly the same spot two years earlier where I had taken a photo and took a picture of the limbs coming out from behind the boulders and thought it looked like a spider as well.

Thanks to the WWW, an expat in Europe can stumble onto a little virtual waystop and discover that someone else took the same photo of the same boulders and limbs, and for the same reasons. Thanks to the WWW, I follow the lives of folks in Wisconsin, the pains of a breast cancer survivor, and the creative musings of folks from all over the map. The world is a little smaller and I like it.

So, without further adieu, The above shot is Nina's photo of the spider tree.

Baker to Vega$

Every year, I run in a team relay called Baker to Vegas. It's a 120 mile relay challenge pitting law enforcement agencies from all over the world. This year, 250 teams from as far as Canada, the UK, and Australia showed up to run on a little two lane road in the middle of nowhere (that's a total of 5000 cops) near Death Valley National Park. There's a reason they call it Death Valley.........

For ten years I've been running and every year I swear I'm retiring. And, every year, like the swallow's returning to Capistrano, I end up doing it. But this year was different because I meant it. And it wasn't until a mere 3 weeks before the race that I was asked to run due to injuries on the team.

Damn..... First training run felt like someone beat me with a stick. I couldn't even walk from the living room to the fridge for a beer. Then, I crashed on my bike and did no running until 3 days before the race, and that was on the treadmill in an air conditioned room with a 50" wide screen TV (1080dpi w/surround sound-no suffering in the gym!).

Race day! I drive out to the start, which is actually below sea level. I've never run this leg, but how bad can it be? It's flat; not like the mountain legs I usually run. The temps aren't too bad; 86 degrees with a light breeze. Unless it's 86 in the desert (which feels like 95) and the breeze is actually a sustained 20 mile an hour headwind which makes me think of convection ovens.

I start pretty well, leading the pack at the 1 mile mark. At about 1.5 miles I notice a desert gremlin has stuffed my mouth full of cotton, depriving me of any moisture. Smack, smack, smack. Still another 1/2 mile til I pick up my support van.... By two miles, I have a white ring of spittle around my lips (gross, let me tell you) and I'm humming Christmas carols when my van pulls up along side.

"Do you need some water?" they ask? "Nope! I'm like a camel; that hump called my ass is actually where I store my water...." Duh! I start to alternate between drinking and pouring the water down my neck.

By mile 4, there's a slight rise in the road. Oh joy...... For some reason, I can't get Barry Manilow singing "Copa Cabana" out of my head; the desert is a cruel place.... Several times I start to throw up, but manage to keep it down because the infamy would be brutal.

At mile 5, it's the one mile to go marker. Along the route folks have pulled over to cheer runner's on. One person, someone's teenage son, yells out "You're too old for this...." He's right, but I yell back a string of obscenities at him that in reality probably sounds like a I've sustained major brain trauma.

Funny thing about the desert.... I could see the finish line, but it appeared to be moving away from me. Maybe it was the salt crystalizing on my eyes. Then, finally, I was in the gate, passing the baton off to the next runner while my 'catcher' and a medical staff member checked me over. The medical person was pretty damn sexy standing there with cold water. But, at some point, I read HIS name tag and realized how hard that run really was.......

So, now I'm home and retired (I swear it!) from running in the desert.

This photo is the start of my leg, which finished at about the base of those mountains......

The Art of Emotion

It is not often that we have the ability or opportunity to share the innermost glimpses of our being. It could be joy or pain; it could be peace or angst. Whatever the case, it is usually only shared with a very select few. But, I think artists are blessed/cursed with the means to express emotion that is unencumbered by the restrictions of language or intimacy. Art comes from someplace within. And that is why art can be so hit and miss for the observer.

But, when you get it; when you really get it, you share something with the artist that connects at such a visceral level that it's almost overpowering.

So, to all artists who labor to bring their vision to the rest of us, I thank you!

One last shot form Joshua Tree NP. I found a burnt scrub oak next to these boulders. Kyle thought it looked like a giant spider (it does), but the starkness of the scene was very appealing.

Seeing in Black and White (and Gray)

Just a gallery of shots from Joshua Tree this weekend. I'd mention to anyone who says "gee, I don't have a fancy camera" that these pics were shot with a small 6 mp point and shoot digital camera bought on Amazon for about $150.00.

Peace, Man!

Kyle and I just returned from Joshua Tree National Park for an annual spring camping trip. The Park is home to the largest concentration of Joshua tree on the planet and is a mecca for climbing and bouldering enthusiasts.

Anyway, Kyle needed some down time, so he popped in an Indiana Jones movie into his portable dvd player while I went out for some lost hiking to find some peace. At sunset, there are not too many places more beautiful than Joshua Tree, and the smell of desert sage and wildflower was pretty intense.

And I found peace.... Literally! Low and behold, this rock formation jumped out at me as looking just like a peace sign; a giant 60' high peace sign!

So, if you go to wild places looking for peace, you never know where you'll find it!

Ancient Ones

The National Park Challenge I'm a part of in the Printmaking Forum on WET CANVAS has really kept me busy coming up with a variety of scenes. This print is from the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of California.

This grove of Bristlecone's contains Methuselah, the oldest known living thing on this planet. At 4700 years old, it's life spans the rise and fall of some of the greatest civilizations known to man, including the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures. It's more than double the age of Christianity and over 20 times older than our country.

This print is of another tree as Methuselah is not identified in order to protect it from trampling, vandalism, etc.

I Don't Even Know What to Say

My son is 12. He's had a mutual crush on a girl since kindergarten. Maybe it's because she has always been the tallest kid in school; maybe it's because they are both very decent young persons. Anyway, we've always thought it was kind of cute that they have made 'googly eyes' at each other for so long.

This week, Kyle told us he wanted to ask her out. We talked about it and figured it would be fine because 'asking out' meant coming over to watch a movie and play video games. In his mind, and hers, it was nothing more than taking those first awkward and innocent steps to growing up.

We told Kyle she would need to discuss it with her folks and he would have to be respectful of her's and her parents decisions and feelings (keep in mind, the young lady is all for it....) Today, Tami talked with the mom, who we have been friends with for years; who has let her daughter go to musicals and other activities with us; and who has never had any issues with Kyle or us.

She said she didn't want Kyle going out with her daughter because he is a non-believer. Apparently, she found out Kyle had a debate with a fellow student on evolution vs creationism in the strictest sense. A couple of his 'friends' labeled him a 'non-believer' and told the young lady (who's family is very religious). Apparently, it made its way to the mom.

First, I can't believe this lady would tell Tami. Then, to find out, she told her daughter the same and now it's floating around school that she can't go out with a non-believer. I think the appropriate exclamation here is "JESUS CHRIST!"

We have raised Kyle to be sensitive, decent, respectful, and tolerant of other people and cultures. He has attended church functions, but has not embraced it. He knows and hangs out with folks of all faiths. I have told him, what's in the heart is more important than the symbol on the chest. But, wow.... The closed minded gall. Despite it all, I told Kyle if he wanted to attend church to learn more about Christianity, he could. I've always believed in being open towards all comers.

I could rant all day, but I took a ride instead. Above are some photo's from this afternoon.

Hope Spring's Eternal

I went out on a mountain bike ride today; down the old North Shore Trail. Before the fires of 2003 and 2007, and the floods of 2003, the trail use to be one of those amazing places that was almost right out the back door.

There were bracken ferns and wild tea rose lining the trails. In the lower portion, Bear Creek meandered along through a lush canyon filled with wild iris and tiger lily. At the bottom, as the canyon opened up, there were tangles of blackberry bushes hidden amongst the grasses. I remember when my wife first learned she had skin cancer. I went on that trail to clear my head and ended up getting dehydrated because I dumped both of my water bottles in order to fill them with plump berries for Tami; Probably 2 pounds worth!

But today, it's gone.... The loggers have come through and clear cut all of the scorched trees for lumber. But, they have left the slash to divert water and runoff paths and destroy the trail. Now, it's just a brown monoscape with an occasional cat's claw bush to add a bit of washed out green to the view. Sad.....

Flash forward a couple of hours. I found myself walking with Tami through another burn area; this time over in Running Springs. We were enjoying the daffodil gardens, which has been devastated twice in the last 5 years by fire (in 03' it destroyed the owner's home).

Despite the fires, the gardens were cleared and ready to welcome visitors. For tourists, it's a chance to see a quaint local landmark. For us locals, it's a chance to see color instead of the dead browns, blacks, and tans we've become accustomed to.

So, here's the photo of the day. Tulips against a blue mountain sky taken in Running Springs.

Stretching the Boundries

I tried water coloring a print of Zion National Park. Not sure of I like the result, but it was fun attempting it. Pushing boundaries in anything you do is a good thing. Whether it's fitness, art, or your beliefs, it pays to get outside of the comfort zone now and again.

Sometimes we get stuck in our little circles. Imagine a page of polka dots with none touching the other. Now, imagine if all those polka-dots expanded. There would be overlap, communication, understanding, creativity, & appreciation.

Soooooooo, that's the mantra for the week; stretch your boundaries because once stretched, they never regain their original dimensions.

The Road Home

On Rim of the World Highway, there's a huge old sugar pine that has been topped by lightning/wind/fire. It sit's below Strawberry Peak and is local landmark for locals and 'flat landers' alike. I like the tree because it has an almost bonsai feel to it and it clings to a fairly steep drop off. It just feels like the essence of preseverance and stability because the Old Fire burnt everything around it, but could not manage to burn this tree.

I'm sure I'll re-visit this subject, but for now, it was printed on Stonehenge watercolor paper with akua brown oxide ink. Carved from a 6x8 blocl of linoleum.

There's Gold in Then Thar Hills!

Mountain biking is a passion. It keeps me fit, reduces stress, and give me some great folks to 'break bread' with and share in camaraderie. But the best part is when you get to pedal through amazing vistas.

Today, we went down to Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas, CA. The Santa Ana winds were howling. Several 18 wheelers were tipped over on the freeway it was so bad. But, about 5 miles from the park, it was like someone flipped the off switch and the winds just died. There was even a hint of coastal humidity in the air.

The backside of the ride was absolutely packed with wildflowers. You could smell just a hint of sweetness mixed in with with earthy tones. It was pretty spectacular. I almost forgot we were in a regional park with nearly 5,000,000 people within a half an hour of us. One of the biking moments to remember!

That little red dot? That's me.....