Last Three from the Souq Series

#9     "One Hump or Two?"

The Last three in the Series of  The BAB Souq.  I think these last three are my favorites.  I don't know though I like them all for different reasons.  I actually eliminated the real #7 and that made all the numbers off a bit as I did 12 prints in all.  #7 just lacked too much. Although, you never know I guess. I just have been into more detail and busy-ness lately. #9 is an encore of my original favorite camel photo that I fashioned my original camel stamp from which is also included in this print.  There are some of the Bahrain Postage Stamps featuring among other things a photo of the King.  I also like to include the local paper written in Arabic which I cannot read so I try to put it in such a way that the viewer understands that the artwork is not about what is written in the article. 

  "With Blessing"#10, is two views of a blind begger that is a constant in the Souq. The Arabic writing says "with blessing".

  #11 "Open"  is another breakdown of some of the graffiti I found.  I love these cartoonish images and the cartoon key going into the real lock.  I should just keep going on this series as I like each new one better than the last.  I guess that's a good thing.  I've been told that the BAB fest will extend into April.  My show was only for a week though so if you happen to go you will see a new artist each week. Be sure to check out the Festivities from 4:30 to 10 PM Thursdays thru Saturdays in the archway of the BAB Building, Gate way to the Souq.  My Last print workshop is next Friday and Saturday, the 29th and 30th of March.

#10   "With Blessing"

#11   "Open"

7 & 8 in the Souq Series

#8     Queen of the Corner

I never really understand why I cannot get the photos in the order I want them to be except accidentally.
  Falconry is quite popular here and I have been keeping a falcon series in the back of my mind to do.  I need to get more photos however before doing that particular series.  #7 is just a nod in that direction.  They often have someone standing out in public places, especially festivals, dressed in traditional Arab attire and holding a falcon.  These are hired people as the owners are not likely to stand around for you to gawk at their falcons. They do however give in to charity pressure and lend the use of their falcons for public display.  There is also a poem in this painting by Qassim Haddad from his book of love poems. I really like the look of the Arabic writing as it is so pretty but if you don't read Arabic you really never know what you are putting into your artwork using collage pieces from the newspapers etc.  I usually place the writing upside down and or backwards so it's meaning is irrelevant and it is the pattern that shows through but I really don't like the idea of putting negative stuff in my work. I figured I couldn't go wrong with love poems so I bought this book and  have been tearing pages out of it to use in my art work.  I hope he doesn't mind.      
  #8 is another ferrel cat from the Souq; actually a really pretty cat with brilliant green eyes and quite the brave and casual display of confidence laying out on a very prominent and busy corner of the sidewalk.   The fur was a little bit dirty looking but otherwise a pretty healthy if a bit thin looking cat.  I was able to get some good photos as the cat seemed comfortable and unconcerned with passersby.  I sort of imagine and  whole community scenario  of cat-dom in the Souq akin to Watership Down. This cat, I imagine, would be the queen of the Souq.
  The Art pieces just got picked up today by the Museum staff due to some delay that I didn't quite understand but am assured the show is being hung as I write this so if you went there early today expecting to see the show, I apologize, however if you attend the festivities tonight I'm sure the show will be up and staff on hand to answer any questions. The show will be on display in the main BAB building until the 25th of March.  My last workshop on printmaking is the 29th and 30th of March.

#7           Poetry and Flight

Remember, Thursday thru Saturday 4:30 to 10:00 for all the fun, art, food and music in the BAB AL BAHRAIN Souq.

Like Birthing a Baby!

I don't know if this is any better but I like it better now.  I am reminded of the saying "when you don't know how to paint, painting is so easy.... the more you know, the harder it gets!" LOL!  Okay, I paraphrased.  Your thoughts are welcome as always.  Mixed Media on Canvas 30"X40".

New monotype with Chine' Collage'

Something new. My mother was an English teacher so this has some collage pieces and  other details that refer to that. That is her in the transfer image.

More from the same series

Forth in Series

As with the first three prints that I posted yesterday
I just continued each successive print from the previous print's ghost, adding new elements as I went along.

Fifth

Sixth

2nd pull from hand press

I didn't really like this one at first but after hanging on my studio wall for a few days it has kind of grown on me.  Let me know what you think.
  I actually got a reversal of my small bird image by stamping the inked image onto some mylar and then transferring that to the plate.  It worked great and made it a lot easier than carving another stamp. I used the same method to get the words to print in the right direction.
   I also found a simple way to transfer my photo image to the stamp for carving.  I placed a piece of the mylar over the photo and traced it in with a marker.  I then laid the wet side down onto the carving material surface and rubbed it with my fingers to transfer the image.  So much easier than trying to trace it off!

First Monotype off of Hand Press!

This is my first hand pulled monotype and a photo of my set up. I got in a little bit of a hurry and  didn't get my registrations drawn in straight.  You can see how the plate is not straight on the paper.   I used my bird stamps again.  My studio space it not very big  and now I am layering work surfaces! LOL!  You can see in the lower photo the piece of foam core board with the ink and rollers up on the drafting table.  While I am inking the plate I have that down on top of the printing area.  Then when I am ready to print I lift the board to the drafting table so I can use the printing surface.  I pressed this with a metal rolling pin.  It worked great  and I even got the indention from the plate.  I am quite pleased especially considering how much trouble it was to get all the right stuff gathered for this deceptively  simple process.

More Monotypes

The color must be off  on one of these as the paper used is exactly the same and same color.

Pokrasso Class

Here are a couple of Mono types with Chine` Collage` that I learned how to do in the Ron Prokrasso Class I took last week.
Very interesting technique and new way (for me) to put images and paint to paper.
  I learned how to lay water compatible Akua intaglio inks onto an acrylic plate and run through a press with added collage pieces within the same printing process.
  Unfortunately, now I want a press.  Always something new out there to lust after.
  These two images were done from the same original plate.  The colors are much lighter after the first run through the press so then you take that "ghost " ink and rework it with more ink into another print.
  I have tried for a long time to get some good photos of crows but have only finally come up with these two images and one other that I also used in another print, on my phone camera. Go Figure!  Had to photo shop them just a bit and then sent them to my friend who printed them onto mulberry paper for me.  The tree image I printed myself on rice paper which crinkled up in my printer, thus the blank streaks which absolutely made the image work for me.  Talk about your happy accidents; Or as Pokrasso calls them "gifts".  Either way, works for me!

Go BIG or go home?

I'm thinking this still needs work.  What are your thoughts?  This is 36"X48" gallery wrapped canvas.
I went with a little more structure instead of the atmospheric color fields without boundries I've been leaning toward.








This is the step before

Actually, I think it looks better in this position.

It's all good!

Well, I may not be finished but the panic is over!  I am back to loving the elements of this painting and there is a lot more depth and interest now.  The blue reads like a light on my monitor whereas in person it reads more as a dark.

Colorado Monument reworked. Dumb things artists do!

With all that I have on my drawing board and easel, what do I do? I go back and probably mess up a perfectly good painting that was just fine left alone.  I kept thinking everything was making my eye run off the page so I "fixed it".  LOL!  I may have to go back and unfix some of it tomorrow.

Colorado Monument

Its so strange how these paintings look pretty good to me until I see them on the blog. Then I want to change them.  I like the colors in this but I'm wondering about some of the marks now.  I have a pretty big mac monitor and I wonder how different monitors show the color and depth of layers.  I am particularly questioning the dark squiggle in the lower right.   I called this Colorado Monument because it reminds me of the view of the Monument I can see out the front door of my temporary home. Although I didn't have any such thing in mind while painting it. I guess I have a pretty good imagination! LOL!

The Monument

This is the painting progression  .

Changes on go fly a kite

After living with this painting I felt it was too busy so I changed it quite a bit.  It seems to work in every direction now.
Mixed media on Arches cold press  30"X 22".

Go fly a kite...

It started out like this... now it looks like this.  I really like this in person but am not liking the thumbnail version of it.  Seems like it should work well either way.  Hmm.... will have to ponder that.

     The other thing is I really liked the first version and let it sit for a week and then I got bored with it over the weekend and worked on it some more.  I'm thinking of Nick Simmon's words..."first do no harm"... I like both versions so don't know that I helped the painting any but I definitely removed the simplicity of the first, so did I do harm or did I make it better?

Have several Abstracts in the works

Here is another small painting I have in the works.  Sometimes I sort of like the organized messiness.  I find if I try to clean them up too much, they lose the spontaneous parts and the nice textures.  I'm liking this one so far but it can always change when I live with it for a few days.
  I've been thinking of trying to incorporate some of my figures into the abstracts.

14 x17 Mixed media on Bristol plate

Get on with it already

This is the latest version of the little canvas from a few days ago. I think last you saw it sort of plaid looking.  I may still want to soften some areas.  The lower right corner is standing out a little too much maybe.  I'll let it stew a while and take another look.

14 x 11 Mixed Media on canvas

Changes

Did a little more work on this one and at least I actually like it now.  I particularly like the opalescence of the layers of paint in both the upper blue parts and the lower right lighter section.  It has a lot of nice detail and depth and I don't feel like the upper and lower halves are separate paintings now.  I will have to watch it a little longer and see.  I do like it better in person than on my monitor as it has sort of an aged quality that doesn't show here.
   I will post the progress of a  watercolor landscape I am working on tomorrow.

Interesting discovery

An interesting discovery when my husband set this painting up the other way than I originally had it posted on here.  I found that even though I still don't like the painting very much, I like it much better in this position.  My husband liked this one a lot.
  I still think it needs work. I like the top portion better than the lower portion.