Forest Primeval -- black-and-white prints!

I printed an edition in warm black ink on a lovely Japanese paper over the weekend and had a great time, even though it was hot and humid in the studio. I don't know why exactly, but I just love the hands-on aspect of making prints, even though it's messy and I invariably end up with oily black fingers and fingernails. Somehow it reminds me of my childhood delight in making things even more than painting does.

Here's the finished print; the actual size is 6 1/2 x 9 inches. The detail below is larger than life size.

Now I'm working on the two-color version, which is tricky to figure out. Here's a detail of my final sketch, using acrylic paint and a white opaque pen on a xeroxed copy of the print; it will be something along these lines.

Comments

[deb]

Gorgeous, Beth!!

Can't wait to see the colored version; your test is superb.

[Beth]

Thank you, Deb! I can't wait to see it either, but other work is intervening today...

[Peter]

This is gorgeous. Victoria and I put new bookcases in our bedroom, and your print Lao Tzu now sits between the (modest) philosophy section and the (equally modest) lit crit section. It's so nice having it there, particularly because I'm taking a Teaching Company course on Eastern philosophy and reading a book on Chinese philosophy. I want to focus on Confucianism and its offshoots, including Lao Tzu. Your work radiates love, care, and talent, Beth.

[Beth]

Peter, that's extremely kind, thank you so much. I'm glad to hear about Lao Tzu's place in your bedroom! The real pleasure for me is when a piece I've done finds a home and becomes no longer "mine" but integrated with other people's daily lives and thoughts and associations: in other words, gains a life of its own. (I wish that man on the subway could know what happened to the little sketch of his face! I'm sorry I didn't get his name.) I hope you'll share your insights with us as you read and study.

[Lorenzo da Ponte]

Tell me: is the act of framing such works equally pleasing or something you pass on to someone else? Is there, in fact, a hierarchy of creativity?

[Hattie]

You remind me I need to take pix of my rain forest backyard. I agree with you that it's fun to mess around with media. I have found my style in ceramics at last and am making pieces I like.

[Jean]

These are beautiful - can't wait to see the two-colo(u)r version

[Robert]

It's a pleasure to see this, Beth. There's something rather "Rousseau-esque" about all that magnified vegetation. I found myself searching for a tiger!

[Beth]

Lorenzo, I do like matting and framing, but it doesn't have the same creative content for me as planning and making the artwork. My husband and I like to frame our own work and have never passed the job on to others, except for a couple of oil paintings once upon a time. J. even used to build his own frames in his woodshop, and he's always printed his own photographs. When I sell artwork online, though, I'm not usually selling it matted and framed. It's too expensive to ship the pieces that way and the purchaser often wants to choose their own style and final size. But you ask, is their a hierarchy? I suppose it depends on how you look at it. Framing is a fine craft and takes a lot of experience, skill, and judgement; photographic printing is the same. Often I'm in the role of graphic designer, for a book for instance. My work is more transparent than that of the author or illustrator, but it's very important.

[Beth]

Hattie -- yes, do send some pictures, and of your ceramics as well!

Jean -- thanks --I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the week, but other things keep intervening...

Robert -- thank you, and good idea!

[Anne]

I just love these prints.

[Beth]

Thanks so much, Anne. I'm excited about them too and happy to be more focused on my artwork these days.

[Sharyn]

I really like them too.

[marly youmans]

Oh, yes, you just get bolder all the time! I like these...