This last weekend I participated in a local community art market. The vendors for this one were on fire; I was very impressed with the variety of offerings and quantity of makers. Unfortunately, we had low turnout for customers but we weren’t surprised as it was just two weeks after Christmas. I’ll be doing it again in March, so hopefully that will be well attended!
Since I had extra time on my hands, I made a new block print. Last weekend my partner C and I celebrated 3 years, so I wanted to make a little token of love for him.
I added text for the first time to this print. Luckily, I was sitting next to a professional block printer who noticed I’d sketched my word out wrong and if carved as such it would have printed backwards. I laughed because I knew this but it became a mind fuck and I could not make sense of it. Thank you, kind friend, for helping me achieve this successful little print!
You know the storyboards I make with my large drawings? Like this:
I’ve appreciated the practice of documenting my work as I make it. When writing down my thoughts with doodles, I notice so many more details and learn more tricks in my art making process. Plus, I end up with these beautiful and vulnerable works of art.
Well, I decided to take this idea to my print making process to help solidify my new skillz and add to my collection of work. Documenting on a bookmark sized piece of paper is a challenge, I have so many things to say. Ha!
How my art practice has changed in my decade of experience in 10 steps:
1. 5 min sketch on canvas then start painting right away
2. Draw ideas in sketchbook to refine my drawings, paint
3. Explore mix media, but this time take notes (start of storyboarding)
4. Follow notes step by step to make more complex art
5. Strong desire to learn to draw, start with random lines
6. My fine line drawings are birthed
7. Bring storyboard practice to line drawings to keep track of shit
8. Making art, while making art, while making art
9. Capture all of my processes to form many bodies of work
10. The absolute pleasure of seeing how my brain makes art. Fuel to my fire
My next evolution? FRAMING. Wha?! I now get to start from a thumbnail sketch and see my work all the way through to how I will frame it. This is so fucking cool. I can’t even express how excited I am to add my creative vision by completing a work with a sick ass frame design. Look out world.
A Good Cunt 
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