Month: January 2012

So here is the first (work in progress) 9″ x 12″ lino from a series of four studies of ‘the barfly’. I didn’t want to use specific individuals as the focus of attention in case they offended anyone. Instead I opted for fictional characters, but all loosely based on observations from a collection of people. The four prints are titled Wisdom, Knowledge, Humor and Ignorance – but their narration is actually interpreted as the old barfly, the one who thinks he knows everything (the one in the photo), the comedian and the one who invariably drinks his troubles away every night.

I figure it’s going to take me a week to cut each of the four pieces. Then I can print them all together. What I wasn’t prepared for was the neck ache while I’m gouging! I can just imagine coming back off this sabbatical with chronic neck pain!

More progress as it happens. G.

Okay, so after a lot of visual research and a couple of ‘on-site’ background photo-shoots, I finally developed four compositions I was happy with, focused around the observations of the ‘barfly’ character. All fictitious, but also with hints of individuals from my life and social circles. The concept of the series is that each piece loosely narrates pseudo-traits associated with them; knowledge, humor, wisdom, and ignorance.

My aim is to transfer onto linoleum next week and then start cutting, but then the problems start because 1. I think I have initially included too many details on all four compositions. I won’t know for sure until I try to reduce each one, 2. unlike my last relief print series, I’ve been far more vague on where to cut with these pieces – just hoping that I can figure it out as I go! Still, it’s all part of the challenge I suppose. And 3. I usually feel more comfortable working on one thing at a time, however in this case I want to be cutting at least two of the four at the same time (no, not literally with a gouge in both hands!), so this goes against my comfort zone way of doing things. Anyway, here is a shot of the four pencil comps ready to be traced down onto the linoleum (next week), *the bottom right one has already been turned over and taped down.

Finally decided it was time to let Christmas go and get on with 2012 (before it ends abruptly on December 21st…. not). I picked up all the equipment, odds and ends etc. I needed from my office at BU and headed down for my ‘home’ for the duration of my spring sabbatical – A residency at the Prairie Center of the Arts.

I have a few projects lined up, a mix of course updates and art pieces. Hopefully, I will remember to post about their progress (or about my procrastination) frequently. First up is to design a poster to promote my London course for J Term ’13. It sounds a long way off, but the students need to pay a deposit around April time, so I need to market the trip pretty heavily in the next few weeks. In addition I want to do the initial research and image sourcing for my first art project – A series of relief prints titled ‘Barfly’ and (very) loosely based around the visual narrative of the Last Supper.

A third project sitting over the top of everything else is my trip to the Brazilian Amazon. The team meetings are getting more frequent now as the March date gets closer – very excited about it but I need to get more familiar with my Panasonic digital camera before then, so will use the Prairie Center and it’s occupants as my ‘model’ to practice photographing!

So, day one of my sabbatical is pretty much over. Just focused on getting settled in my new surroundings. Looking forward to having the opportunity to (hopefully) make some art, sort out some much needed syllabus updating, and generally just ‘chill’ for a while.