I haven't been able to keep in touch with you all as much as I would like! Missing you dearly and hoping to catch up soon.

In the meantime, keeping you updated on my current health condition: I am struggling with Endometriosis and it is not good, but I am finally getting real help. I must fly to Atlanta in October for surgery, and of course it is going to cost. Everything is in the works and I'm going no matter what; if anyone can contribute, it would be hugely appreciated. The most important thing, however, is love and support.

Furthermore, if you have a friend, a daughter, a sister- anyone at all who shows symptoms of this ruthless disease PLEASE spread the word. Educating the public and helping out anyone who suffers in silence is also of utmost importance. It is a huge battle just to get diagnosed, and an even bigger battle to get the proper treatment. Be an advocate for the strength to carry on and persevere through turning down the wrong treatments and managing the constant insurance battles.

I will leave you with the details of the fundraiser here


A little more about me: I am an artist in printmaking and manage a non-profit arts center, The Printmaking Center of NJ. When I have good days, I have good days and am extremely active. A lot of image in the fundraiser gallery are of me teaching, working, assisting and running events and printing and producing my artwork- the last is one of my latest pieces- I was ALMOST finished when one of the last bouts of pain has struck solid for the past several weeks, leaving me unable to continue:


When I have bad days, I am completely laid up. Sadly those are becoming more frequent as we get closer to surgery time. Hoping to hang in there and keep doing as much as I can! But as they say, one day at a time.

I'm back! From Cincinnati to New Jersey, and Mondo Tondo Portfolio

Dear blog- this is just terrible. Unacceptable- over a year?!?
And goodness- ALL the things that just happened in that year!

So well, I spent a year starting Sept 2013 working at Haney Inc, a fabulous packaging and design company in Cincinnati. I started in prototyping- mockups for package designs, and was quickly whisked into Client Services, where I assisted running several large-scale, Procter & Gamble projects. We worked on a lot of billion dollar brands, but namely Cascade, Gillette, Tide, and Old Spice/Olay as well as Always, Tampax and the new Always Discreet. It sure was a whirlwind and quite the learning experience for me!

My P&G via Haney badge

Hangin'- out in the Haney cubicle

and lots of meetings with clients!

But alas, change kept calling and out of the blue in August, I learned of a job opening at The Printmaking Center of New Jersey- and oh how I longed to go back east and get inky again! So with tears of missing friends, but happy to be back with family, we loaded up a U-haul and headed out. In the interim, however, I was thrown at least 5 rollicking good farewell parties from both Haney and Tiger Lily Press!

Farewell to the lovely Tiger Lily crew!

Partying it up in style :)

So here I am, new Studio Program Manager at PCNJ,

Hangin' out with the ink and presses, helping lots of members make their work!

and below is a great tale of my journey- the travels of a stone litho to be completed for the Southern Graphics Conference, Knoxville 2015. Take a look!

Check out the Facebook album Eet's finally feeneeshed! Mondo Tondo Portfolio print, SGC '15

Till next time….

Hungarian Artists' Book Exhibition

Several months ago, at the encouragement of an OSU professor, I entered into a Hungarian Artists' book exhibition. It is the 5th International show, hosted by the King St Stephen Museum in Székesfehérvár. Very surprised when I got in, I also found out that they produce a lovely catalogue…and to top that, I got a mention in an introductory essay!

The cover of the catalogue

an image of my book- what a lovely job! It amuses me to no end that "To Achieve Typing Power" is one word in Hungarian

and with over 220 books in the show, I got a mention in one of two essays in the catalogue! It seems like there were several pieces about typewriters and technology

Thanks much to Sarah, the author of the essay!

Here is an image of the show- I SO wish I could have gone! My books is the last on the shelf, right-side before the door. To see images of the rest of the show, be sure to check out the museum's Facebook page.

Teaching at Zygote Press: Non-toxic weekend workshop

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to teach a class in Cleveland at Zygote Press and spread the word about nitric-acid free and solvent-free goodness. I demonstrated etching with the copper-sulfate salt-etch solution and showed Andrew Baldwin's BIG ground and Caligo water-soluble inks. It was such a great class! And thanks a million to director Liz Maugans for setting this all up.

The night I arrive in their residency space above the printshop- called Z-Pass, it's where they host all of their visiting artists, often from around the world.

looking out over downtown Cleveland, with the Ohio Arts Council neon reflected in the window

My lovely little room for the evening- there is another bedroom for 2 down the hall

Goodmorning Z-Pass!

        

This great print was on the fridge- yessiree, I believe it is!

The main door- now it's time to go down and teach!

First I have everyone degrease their plate with yes, SOY SAUCE! It works just as well as whiting, heck- even better! And with less mess (I sound like a salesperson, don't I?)

Seeing what it's like to draw through BIG ground

Now it's time to watch the magic happen!

The class plate with BIG etches in the copper sulfate bath- for some reason the bath is a bit more green in Cleveland- something in the water, perhaps?

Now for some Z*Acryl stop-out and drawing in a few more lines

Removing BIG ground with both Soy Solve II (on left) and D*Solve. They both work, but Soy is a little greasier

Lisa cranks our first proof through the American French Tool press

Ooh, what have we got?

Cool, there's our group print! Love the imagery- bunny, coffee, fish, socks and a smelly banana

Meanwhile, Christi the shop manager has lots of other projects going on. Here she heats a rosin aquatint on a plate.

                   

She and Nicole are also team-screenprinting for a commission. Busy ladies! Enough for one day. Tomorrow will be the main work session for the class to etch their plates.

Nothing like waking up to a printshop in the morning!

Isn't it peaceful?

Lisa makes a wonderful little diagram about drypoint lines

And look, she is also Zygotian of the year with a special Rubylith ribbon

Nice PR!

I also like Zygote's wall of announcements plus they have the Tiger Lily print calendar hanging up- hooray!

Nice shop space as well, next to the gallery- which had a wonderful show going on- Cleaveland. Sorry I didn't get to document!

Now it's time for everyone to start throwing plates into the bath.

I try yet anther experiment re-grounding a plate with BIG ground. I am trying the advice of Zea Mays, carding it deep into the lines, then rolling on top and heat-setting for a bit extra time.

Ok, it really LOOKS covered!

Darn, I can see that the etch is still getting through a bit. Hmmm…still need to figure this out!

Okay, lunch break time!! We walk right down the street to Superior Pho, where folks apparently come from Oberlin in busloads just to eat there!

Lots of folks get the bubble tea. I had pho and Vietnamese iced coffee, yum!

Back to class, everyone is in a printing frenzy!

Lots of activity at the inking table. Oh, and by the way, everyone was using traditional liquid hardground and oil-based inks, just etching with the copper sulfate solution. Hopefully we will all move to water-soluble materials as well- I just brought them for show.

In the meantime, I have to laugh at this wonderful studio signage created by Kate

Truth be told, do NOT trifle with it!

Now Kate pulls her series of small prints

Checking them out with Lisa- looks lovely!

Allison's lovely print

she shows me sketches in her notebook as well

based on an awesome abandoned house!

Rebecca shows me how they aquatint at Zygote

                   

They got this awesome box built by some fellows in Jersey

Ready to melt on the hotplate!

Lisa's tree print- first stage of etching done!

And Rebecca's fish, ready to etch the aquatint

Group photo time- such a great class everyone!!

And many accolades to Christi the shop manager, who worked very hard to make it all happen. So all best and lets make the print world a little greener!

Bye bye Cleveland- fun times and sure hope to come back soon!