Oxalis bloom has just gone over, the sun has that summer warmth again. Ive been busy in the studio, working on my drawings mostly, as well as some new tapestry pieces.
Ive been trying to focus more on my drawing, and tighten up my compositions. Making works that assemble multiple images can create a chaotic composition if not done carefully. The pieces should support each other and tell a clear story, not look like lots of bits stuck together.
When i was young, i wanted to be an illustrator, but moved on from that as i became more interested in printing. Im trying to prioritize my drawings more in my practice, and im looking forward to projects that come from that focus.
In the studio, Ive been working steadily on fabric pieces for well over a two years now. The tactility of fabric, the piecing together of different patterns, its been a very playful practice. It’s very different from creating representational images, and working in tandem with fabric and drawings gives me a chance to really get down to the basics of composition, color and texture balance. The textile work is more elemental in its construction, but the drawings give me a way to tell a story beyond the colors and textures.
Since January, I’ve been working as a monitor st Max’s Garage Press, a community printshop in berkeley. Ive been helping artists with their woodblock and linocut prints. Its been really great to be back at that printshop, and as someone who works most of the week doing commercial production printing, having a dedicated shift to be in community with other artists has been really fun. The woodblock here is what I’ve been working on. Its almost done being carved, ill post the prints here when i pull them.
Took a walk down by the train tracks the other day. Gotta get out in the field among the debris and the grass sometimes to remember what its all about.
Thanks for reading- see ya in the field