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"

Pop Up Gallery In the BAB

 This is the "Pop Up Gallery" in the middle of the BAB Building where all the Monotypes I have been working on are now on Display.  I love the concept of this movable gallery.  It's very open and sits in the middle of the walk area and invites you to walk through in a way that a more conventional gallery space does not.  It's hard to photograph but it is shaped somewhat like a big spider.  You can just walk through or walk around inside to see the art.
  If you are in Bahrain come check out the BAB at the Souq.  Festivities are Thursdays thru Saturdays 4:30 -10:00 untill the end of March

The sign you see is the info about me and the work. The red lettering
is the logo for the BAB renewal fest (its in Arabic)

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.

#'s 3 & 4 In the Souq series

#4   Hand pulled Cart   Mono type with Chine' Colle' 

#3  9 lives in the Souq  Mono type with Chine' College'

The top print is the 4th in the order of pulls and
the Cat print is the 3rd in order using the ghost from each previous print and adding more ink and textures etc.
  Just to refresh your memory on what "Mono type with Chine' College'" is... It is basically making a mono print with collage pieces except the collage pieces are actually applied at the same time as the ink onto the paper through the press process.  Once you have reached this step it is possible to add more ink but not more collage pieces because it is difficult to stick them over the ink. The collage piece sticks directly to the paper and the ink prints over that.

The show of these pieces and the rest that I am working on will be up in the BAB building in the Pop up Gallery from March 14th - 20th.

Kyle finished

Don't know if you can see a difference but I did add quite a bit more as far as color and deepening the darks. Changed the background blue to a cooler shade to play off the warm lights in the face.  I also realized that the picture plane was divided almost exactly in half in the original version so I cropped it in the photograph.  Let me know your thoughts on that or anything else about it.  Again this is watercolor and gouache on 500 ply Bristol Plate and is  11X17 inches.

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.

Crow Stamps

I liked my crow photos that I put in my monotypes so much that I thought It might be interesting to have a stamp of them that I could include into an underpainting etc. in other works. They were fun to carve and very easy. I thought I would show them to you and the part of an underpainting in which I tried them out.  I may do a little more work on them as I see a few changes I would make.  I made a smaller version turned one way and then a larger version turned the other way.  I will probably make one with the profile image as well. These two images were printed by inking the stamp with acrylic paint.

More Monotypes

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

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

Apple of my eye

this is from a Saturday model session