Cloud Dragon

This version of my dragon linocut is printed on sky blue Chinese paper with gray screenprinted cloud pattern and a deckle edge, 27 cm by 51 cm or 10.5 inches by 20 inches. (The irregular deckle edge is a sign that this is handmade paper). The dragon itself also has chine collé (or collaged) silvery blue non-woven silk paper.

Happy Chinese New Year!

This is a one of a kind dragon is printed in environmentally-friendly water-based block-printing ink on handmade red Chinese paper, with gold blossoms. The sheet is 11.75" (30 cm) wide by 14" (35.6 cm) tall.

The dragon is a near-universal figure in world mythologies and has quite complex symbolism. In China, the dragon is more benign than in most Western legends, and the powerful creature is the fifth in the 12-year zodiac cycle. Dragons with five claws are reserved for the Emperor- this is a three-clawed dragon, speaking the character "long" for dragon.

I hope the Year of the Dragon treats you well! Gong hei fat choy, as they say here in Toronto (as there are many different transliteration of Chinese characters into English, for many different dialects). Congratulations and be prosperous!

Year of the Dragon

For those on this side of the Pacific, and more specifically, here in Toronto (and elsewhere in Ontario), you can see a great, international collection of prints celebrating the Year of the Dragon, including my linocut above. Venues include: PROOF Studio Gallery (Distillery District, Toronto),OCADU (Ontario College of Art & Design University), Ottawa School of Art and Muskoka Art Place Gallery. The exhibit will premier at PROOF, January 26 - February 12, 2012, with the Opening 2-5 PM, Saturday January 28!

PROOF Studio Gallery, Studio 104, Case Goods Warehouse, Bldg. 74,
55 Mill Street, Distillery District Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 3C4
phone: 416 504 6761

If you are a printmaker, they will accept submissions up to January 25th so there is still some time to get involved.

Let me be the first to wish you 'Gung hee fatt choi, fung bao diu loi' ("Congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red envelope!" ;)

Year of the Dragon Print Show

This weekend, we visited PROOF Gallery to drop off my 'Long: the Dragon' linocuts for the 11th International Print Exhibition and ExchangeCelebrating The Chinese New Year Year of the DRAGON 2012. Follow the link to see all the submitted prints as the arrive (or the submission call if you're a printmaker). I'll let you know about exhibition details in January. My print and prints from around the world will be displayed at PROOF Gallery (in the Distillery District, Toronto), OCADU in Toronto, Ottawa School of Art and the Muskoka Art Place Gallery. You can also find it here and a variation on the theme here. I've enjoyed participating in their Year of the Tiger and Year of the Rabbit shows previously. I love seeing all the different takes on the theme. Since I created my Chinese Zodiac Series before becoming involved in these exhibits, my take is pretty literal, but some artists are much less literal (like the NSFW takes on 'rabbit' or 'bunny' last year). I wonder what they'll come up with this year?

In other things from secret minouette places news, I re-divided my shop. Previously, I had the 'Linocut Chinese Zodiac', 'Scientist Portraits' and a general 'Printmaking' categories. I'm trying a scheme more like the one in my head: 'Linocut Chinese Zodiac', 'Science and Scientists', 'Natural History Prints' and 'UnNatural History'. Does that make sense to you? I want flora and fauna in 'Natural History' and you know, harpies and unicorns in 'UnNatural History' (along with the odd inanimate human-made object).

Chinese Dragon & Skinny Raccoon

New in the shop: 1) artist's proof of 'Long: The Dragon' on red Chinese paper with gold blossoms (and a deckle edge)



& 2) a skinny grey racoon named Radcliff




I also made another raccoon, but it's going to New Brunswick.

I is for iguana, and insect, and indigo

This is the latest panel in my alphabet quilt-in-progress. It is a hand-block printed iguana in green ink on an old (though high thread count) cotton shirt in gray. The 'I' is printed with a vintage letterpress block. The insects were screenprinted by Smoking Lily - they sell scraps of fabric with prints they don't use in their clothing line. The insects in blue (on tee shirt material) are reverse appliqued onto the black fabric with one white fly.

What do you think? Maybe 2009 will be the year and I will actually finish this quilt.

I need to finish the 'N' and 'O' panels, which are in progress. I have to start 'Q', 'U', 'V', 'X', 'Y' and 'Z'. Then the actual quilting process can begin.