I took some time to draw the cartoon and refine it to create a 4-way repeat. Here are the final cartoon before transferring it to the stencil paper, and the final stencil design before cutting away bridges and adding the silk sha. I wanted to try this design on Japanese Kozo as well as fabric. I will post the results next.
I’ve finished the last bit of cutting and testing of my rabbit-moon-greens repeat. I’ve illustrated the last couple steps in the repeat testing process on my new Facebook page. Stop by for a visit! FB has been a real learning curve for me. My intention is to make the updates there shorter and sweeter. Some people prefer Facebook to blogs. It seems like the online world is forever shifting and adaptability is the key!
Here’s the final stencil. I’m pasting and dyeing other work this week, along with reinforcing the stencil. The rabbits will be ready to paste later in the week. This one will work as a single pictorial image i.e. for a hanging as well as a repeat. The size of the image is 12×16.”
I’m about mid-way through carving my new rabbit-with-moon-and-greens stencil. Must take breaks to stretch the shoulders. I enjoy the challenge of designing repeats, but my next several designs will be simpler, non-repeating motifs. (I wreally wrestled w/this wrabbit!)
Last Friday I visited a yard sale given by local moku hanga (Japanese woodblock) printmaker Jean Shannon and potter Lee Love. Lee and Jean spent 10 years in Mashiko Japan studying and working. The yard sale was overflowing with textiles and other items from their time in Japan. I bought a couple of lovely vintage treasures — a silk kanoko shibori kimono and a linen katazome runner, indigo dyed.
I also stopped by Jean and Lee’s exhibit at Raymond Gallery in St. Paul. Jean’s prints depict Japanese toys, symbols, and scenery in bright colors. The colorful prints and earthy wood and soda-ash fired pots worked very well together! You will be able to see some photos of the show here. I look forward to seeing more of both of their work when we all participate in the Art at St. Kate’s show on July 11th!
silver minnow 