Jellyfish Tattoo

A woman contacted me to let me know that she got a tattoo on her forearm, inspired by my jellyfish linocut. She explained that she found my artwork by searching for images of ukiyo-e style jellyfish prints, contemplated it for months and only discovered that I was the artist after she had completed her tattoo. I think the tattoo artist's translation of the image into line art, and her choice to have it in red, have made this re-interpretation her own. I'm flattered that my art turns up in a search for ukiyo-e (traditional Japanese woodblock printing) and that it spoke to her strongly enough that she would want a version as something so intimate, personal and permanent as a tattoo.

It's funny to me that there seems a theme of other people reinterpreting my art of late. Case in point: the knit version of my Mercator linocut. Wonder what's next?

Springtime Marketplace

The 4th Annual Toronto Etsy Street Team Springtime Marketplace is fast approaching! Join us on:
Date: June 1, 2013
Time: 11:00 am to 5:30 pm (followed by post-show cocktail party)
Where: 918 Bathurst Centre, in the heart of the Annex, on Bathurst north of Bloor
Admission: FREE

for our best show yet! Along with our handmade vendors, you can peruse great vintage finds, enjoy music from our live DJ (none other than synap!), and take part in one of a series of FREE craft workshops. The Marketplace will be followed by a cocktail reception offering refreshments, a cash bar, a charity raffle, a special tea-infused cocktail workshop and a chance to mingle and chat with the members of TEST. The show features 40+ TEST makers and vintage sellers and includes; one of a kind jewelry, art, fashions (both new and vintage), toys, handmade body care items and baked goods. See the show website or Facebook Event Page for more details.

Spend a fun spring afternoon checking out these talented handmakers’ wares, support local artists in your community, enjoy the hunt for the perfect vintage item.

Don't forget to check out the lovely Springtime Marketplace Look Book!

Logos, the cosmos in art, & the history of science from print to textile form

This is a peak at the linocut which formed the basis for a logo I designed for a small English furniture company called Galapagos Designs. The specialize in German furniture from the 50's. My lovely customer stumbled upon my portrait of "Darwin on Galapagos" and liked the look of the tortoise. She requested a similar tortoise with a specific German chair, within a circle. The final logo has some further work I did with their name and slogan, in Photoshop. I can share that when their website is complete. I've enjoyed working with her and making this print. I like the whimsical idea!













The Etsy blog posted a great little article last Friday, called Art Scouting: The Night Sky. If you know me at all or have perused this blog more than once, you'll know that an article about the place where art intersects astronomy and a round up of representations, both representational and fanciful, of astronomical phenomena is just my thing. So, I was really pleased to see my "Imaginary Antarctic" screenprint included, especially amongst the works of so many wonderful printmakers. The author even sent me nice little note saying she thought it was a gorgeous depiction of the aurora.



















This is my linocut portrait of Mercator, famed 16th century Flemish cartographer and originator of the ubiquitous Mercator projection (the last of which just flew to Chicago with a friend... though I think I'll print a 2nd edition). You may recall, I was really pleased to be invited to submit of of these prints to the City Museum of Sint-Niklaas, in Belgium, who were hosting a year long exhibit in 2012, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Mercator's birth. Recently, they wrote to me to say they would be sending me a knitted version of my print. Nothing could be less expected. It arrived today.






 









This is without a doubt, the single most unusual item I have received in exchange for my art. I don't know what to do with it, but I love it. (That's a metre stick for scale, by the way).

Mayday

Fellow printmaker Martha Knox featured my woodblock print 'Little Boat, Big Ocean' on her blog today and wrote a really insightful commentary.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I've been blessed with a beautiful day. It was wintry in the past week, but today is early summer. Usually it rains on Mayday.

I got up, cleaned the new floor, that my crazy RJH has been frantically installing in our basement. Dealt with a whole bunch of logistical problems (ranging consulting on calibrating instruments, tracking down addresses for wedding invites, to alerting craft show applicants of their acceptance or rejection from our show). It was another odd geophysicist/printmaker morning. Then my father showed up to take me out for a late lunch, which stretched on for some time. We went to Playa Cabana, a really good Mexican place which you wouldn't expect on a residential street near his new home. He gave me all sorts of books. He said the bookseller said, "Whoever these are for, this is not light reading." It should keep me busy for a while. I eventually returned home and moaned on the couch for a while, having eaten a stupid amount of food. My mother showed up with more gifts (kitchen stuff). My sister-in-law sent me a photo of my nephew with his birthday wishes, which was adorable. I've been fielding calls and messages. Thank you very much everyone. I feel old, but it's a really lovely day.

We're putting off celebrating till next week. We really want to complete the basement, so it'll be more work this evening. I hope you're having a beautiful day too. If you live around here GO OUTSIDE. Right now.