Paper Raven Art! (the art of Mark B Hill)

Studio, as complete as it's going to be

2009-11-15T11:04:00.001-06:00

It has been a long time coming but I finally have a workspace again. It has all the amenities that are integral with creativity. DVD player and DVDs, TV, iPod, CDs...oh yeah and drawing table and other art supplies...

I don't know what happened really. My productivity came to a grinding halt. Maybe I needed a rest. Now it's time to get back to work.

And that's exactly what I'm going to do today and tomorrow. And hopefully the rest of the week.

And here is a very rough sketch of the upcoming project. I am planning it to be a three dimensional/diorama blockprint. Maybe I should do a step-by-step demonstration? We'll see...

Still Alive, Still Here

2009-11-04T07:08:00.000-06:00

Yep, I'm still here, just in case you were wondering. Always doodling, searching for ideas. I always tend to slow down during the end of the year. I am, however, feeling the urge to get back to work on more artwork.

My studio is still a mess. It's a slow process. I have been boxing things up, freecycling a lot of things I'm never going to use, and just throwing stuff out. There is no room for clutter in a studio space this small.

Hopefully in the next two weeks or so I will be back to work.

Another Skull-a-Day Post!

2009-10-16T06:59:00.000-05:00

Although I just posted this a few weeks ago, I wanted to repost it because it just made it onto the Skull-a-Day website!

It being Halloween and all, I encourage you to check it out!

Button, Button

2009-10-04T09:42:00.001-05:00

I have just realized what the most labor-intensive aspect of printmaking is. It's not carving the block, not the actual printing, oh no. It's coloring, individually coloring each and every one of the prints.

So that is why I have posted any prints in over a week. I have been watercoloring the Hermetic Bicycle prints.

So, yes, I am still alive...
But that's not why I posted today. I wanted to tell you what I have been doing this morning.

Awhile back, my dear friend Tish pointed me in the direction of the magic PayPal button. She told me with this magic button I could sell my prints and other things directly through my blog. That was, what, two months ago? Here nor there....

Anyway, so I have gone back to a few older posts and added the button. Any print I post in the future will have the PayPal button so that if anyone is so inclined they can purchase prints directly. I mean that's what happens through the Artfire and Etsy stores anyway.

If you see anything on the blog you like that doesn't have the button, please let me know. I'm sure we can make some arrangements...

What I've Been Doing All Afternoon

2009-09-23T16:56:00.001-05:00

Today was printing day. This is the full print run of Hermetic Bicycle, an edition of 50. I am now printing all my prints on Stonehenge paper. This decision was arrived at with little trial and error. I bought a couple different kinds of "printmaking" paper and found them unsatisfactory in one way or the other. Stonehenge takes watercolor pretty well, takes an awesome print even without use of a press, and is reasonably priced for an acid-free paper.

Now I just have to color them...

Cello

2009-09-20T10:56:00.002-05:00

I have, for many years, been a fan of the cello. No matter what genre of music, if there is a cello, I at the very least appreciate it. A long time ago, another life and another town, I considered teaching myself how to play. I had visions of myself going down to Cathedral Square park in Milwaukee (where I lived at the time) and playing there while passersby tossed money in my open cello case.

I purchased a student model cello. I plinked and plucked and tried to make some notes. I was deteremined that I would practice every day.

But I never got to it. I never acquired the discipline to play every day. And there were other things going on in my life that were impediments.

But I don't regret not having learned. I no longer have the time or energy for regret.

This hand-pulled linocut print measures 6 x 9, is handcolored with watercolor. Total print size is 9 x 12. It is available for purchase at my Etsy Shop or you can click the button below.

Skull and Books bookplate

2009-09-16T07:12:00.001-05:00

I always wanted a skull for a bookend...

Here's another bookplate design. Once again, I colored it in Photoshop. The dimensions are 5" x 3".

Bookhead bookplate

2009-09-15T18:07:00.000-05:00

Here is another bookplate design idea. I colored it in Photoshop. The the dimensions are 3" x 5".

The idea was originally used in a book I made, the design was executed in tooled copper foil. Unfortunately if I did have a picture of it at one time, it was victim of the computer crash of 2008. And no I didn't have a back up. You'll just have to trust me on this...

Bookplates. There are a lot of people who have no idea what they are or their purpose. Simply put, they are pride of ownership in a book, something that says, "this is my book." They are labels that you put in the front cover of your books. Yes, they used to be more common. So were books, but now there are audiobooks and Kindle. There is even a society of those who collect and design bookplates. If you get a chance, check out their website.

And keep reading books even if you don't collect them.

Pan is not the Devil you think he is...

2009-09-13T10:57:00.004-05:00

Another linocut print in the non-existent Mythology series. I'm going to call it a series yet, because every time I do I jinx it. Does anyone remember me talking once about doing an alphabet series? Thought so...

I used to draw Pan all the time when I was in junior high and high school. I liked doing it because of the inevitable religious discussions that would erupt. They: "Look he's drawing the DEVIL!!!!" Me: No, it's Pan, he's different. He's from Greek and Roman mythology." They: "well, he looks like the DEVIL!" Me: "well he's not."

And so on and so forth. Eventually I would be informed that I was going to hell. And I would say "Don't count on me to save you a seat!"

Ah, life gowing up in the Bible belt.

This is not the Devil. The Devil does not play the Pan Pipes. Everyone knows he plays the accordian....

The print is 8 x 10 with the actual image 4 x 6. It is now available at my Etsy shop

Or you can buy it here directly

The Hand that Pours the Coffee

2009-09-09T15:13:00.001-05:00

This is merely an artist proof that I decided to color in Photoshop. There is still work to be done. It's almost there, but not quite. I like using Photoshop in some cases because it gives me a chance to play around with the colors.

I used unmounted linoleum for this one, mounted on a piece of plexiglass. The print measures 3" x 8". I like using the unmounted linoleum because I can do odd sizes. The downside of this is that someday in the not-too-distant future I'm going to have to invest in a matcutter AND learn how to use it.

As I have mentioned before, I am carving blocks faster than I can print them. Printing and coloring could be reserved when I don't have any ideas for prints. I'm not trying to jinx myself here so I won't say anything else about inspiration. I think you know what I mean...

This print is now available at my Artfire shop or you can buy it directly from me.

An Apple a Day

2009-09-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

I did this without any major pre-planning. I have gotten into the habit of always bringing a blank linoleum block with me to work even if I don't have any tangible ideas for them. Sometimes I just start doodling and there it is.

So yes, there it is.

I'm very happy how this one turned out. The colors scanned in nicely this time. The print measures 6 x 4 (total dimension 10 x 8). I will have this one available on Artfire in the next day or so.

Look Familiar?

2009-09-05T19:04:00.002-05:00

Perhaps this gentleman looks slightly familiar to some of you. I did a doodle quite a few months ago. It occurred to me that it would make a great blockprint.

I laid the watercolor on a little too thick on this one, I admit. Moderation in all things, right?

There is also more work to be done on this one before I post it on Artfire. The watercolor, yes, I'll tone it down. The block needs some fine-tuning, here and there.

I can't take all the blame for the colors, really. The colors on the actual print are far more vibrant than what the scanner would pick up. Orange never, ever comes out right.

Anyway, back to printing!

Peace...

The second life of a Zazzle store

2009-09-02T15:32:00.000-05:00

I had almost given up on the Zazzle store. But today I thought to myself maybe I wasn't being persistent enough. Maybe I wasn't promoting it enough.

Maybe I needed to put more artwork on stuff!

So I did.

And there will be more. Besides, it doesn't cost me anything to have it available, right?

So, take a look. And know that there will always be more...

Hanging Plant

2009-08-30T08:12:00.002-05:00

This print barely made it into my scanner. It measures 2 7/8 x 12 inches. I am beginning to like the unmounted linoleum simply because I can cut it to what ever size I want. I mounted this on 1/4 plexiglass.

And yes we do have a plant that looks like this. Given the chance, it would take over the living room. We do not, however, have yellow walls. I lived in a place once where my bedroom was painted orange, though, and I'm convinced it affected my mood. Adversely.

The print is hand-pulled and is one of a larger edition of 50. Handcolored, signed and numbered.

Shifty

2009-08-27T21:53:00.004-05:00

I set out to do a small simple linocut. I drew the design directly on the block, which measures 4 x 1 3/4. Simple, I kept telling myself...

Then I started on the shading. Maybe I am incapable of simple. I love cross-hatching and shading and shadows....

So here it is, the smallest print I have (so far) and probably (again, so far) the most detailed. Although it didn't turn out exactly as I had envisioned, I am still pleased with the end result...

The print is part of a larger, yet to be determined, edition. Handcolored with watercolor.

This print is now available for purchase on Artfire.

Bacchus in Color

2009-08-26T19:36:00.003-05:00

Last week I posted the black and white version of this print. Here is the hand-colored version that I just posted on Artfire.

My Skull-A-Day Submission

2009-08-24T20:38:00.005-05:00

There is a wonderful and peculiar website by the name of Skull-a-Day. The master of ceremonies is Noah Scalin. It started with Noah making a skull every day for a year and posting on the blog. From that there was a book called, oddly enough, Skulls.

Instead of me trying to paraphrase from the website here is a passage from the blog's history:

"My name is Noah Scalin and I made a Skull-A-Day for a year. I started by making an orange paper skull on June 4th, 2007 and posting it online saying, "I'm making a skull a day for a year". I made my 365th skull on June 2nd, 2008 (and even posted a bonus skull the day after since it was a leap year!).June 3rd, 2008 marked the start of year two of the project (called Skull-A-Day 2.0) and featured daily submissions from readers.

In October 2008 a book based on the Skull-A-Day, featuring 150 images from the first half of the project, was published by Lark Books. It's called SKULLS and you can buy it from your local independent bookstore or online via Amazon.com or Barnes & Nobel or Powell's Books.

June 3rd, 2009 marked the start of Skull-A-Day 3.0 in which the project continues to feature daily skull submissions, but with the addition of two new site editors: Skull-A-Day überfans Tatman and Citizen Agent, who are both also making their own original weekly skulls as well (see them HERE and HERE)!"

I sent a submission to Skull-A-Day (a blockprint...surprised?) awhile back and nearly every day I looked to see if my skull submission had made it onto the blog. I patiently waited...

Today it was posted!

So, thank you Noah, Tatman and Citizen Agent. You made my day...

Fire breathing is better than mouth breathing

2009-08-23T17:52:00.004-05:00

I have a co-worker who drinks hot sauce. I won't mention names, she knows who she is. I guess it has never occurred to me to ask why she feels compelled to drink it. Maybe it's to ward off a cold, but summer is still here until further notice.

And I guess there are worse things to drink, like Sterno, mouthwash, Jagermeister....

So she was in part inspiration for this woodcut. That and I wanted to do a print of someone breathing some wicked looking flames.

And in case you are indeed interested, this print is available for sale. Click on the Artfire "RapidCart" on the right column of this blog and you will be taken to my Artfire page.

Man in the Moon and Three Pears

2009-08-23T06:56:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple blocks I did in the last few weeks. I'm double posting this time to catch up a little. Like I have said before, I am carving blocks faster than I can print them or post them.

These were the 3x 4 blocks. I like the small one for two reasons. They are easy to carry around (since I do a lot of carving while I am at work) and secondly they kind of force me to keep the designs simple. Yet I still feel the compulsion to put as much detail in as possible. It's a struggle...

When I was making books, I would spend a couple weeks making miniatures, small leatherbound books that measured about 3 x 4. After I would make, oh I don't know, a couple dozen, I would have to stop. My eyes would be buggy and my hands would be very tired. I would have to make larger books just to relax.

The same seems to be going for the blockprinting. In the last several days I've done a couple larger blocks just to relax my hand and my eyes. Well, ok, that's not the only reason. I also wanted to have more larger pieces.

So today is printing day...

By the way, The moon is colored in Photoshop. The Pears, which are available for purchase at my Artfire store, were handcolored with watercolor.

RayGun

2009-08-19T06:47:00.003-05:00

We are definitely products of our childhoods. I grew up watching cartoons, Batman, Night Gallery, and re-runs of the old Flash Gordon serials. To name a few...

Long before cable there was a TV station out of St Louis, KPLR, that would show those Flash Gordon episodes on Saturday mornings. On Sunday, the afternoon was filled with movies. It was always Abbott and Costello from 12 to 2, some bad horror movie from 2 to 4 and then a Charlie Chan movie after that. No need to guess where I was on Saturday afternoons.

So all this visual and mental stimulation still affects me to this day. I fondly remember watching all those movies. I have conveniently forgotten all the obnoxious commercials an independent TV station has to air. Had to, I mean, since the idea of an independent TV station is a thing of the past.

I suppose that was a tangent. Sorry, waiting for the coffee to brew...

I guess the idea of doing an alphabet book is still in the back of my mind. Obviously I wouldn't have to create the blockprints in order, right?

At this point, I am carving blocks faster than I can print them or post them. I'm not complaining because this means I will always have something to post here.

Campsite

2009-08-16T19:55:00.002-05:00

Two weekends ago our friends Kent and Diane came up from Chicago to camp at Governor Dodge State Park. We drove down Saturday to spend the day with them, eat brats and make s'mores.

Then we drove back Sunday morning to spend the day again. Kent's folks, Stu and Ileen, came up that morning to camp with them. It was quite the party. Valerie and I ate too much, overdosed on the fresh air, and smelled like a fire sale for a few days afterwards. It was a great weekend and this linocut is a memento. It's the first time in a long time I have had percolated coffee and I've never had it perked on a campfire. It was a great cup of coffee.

I'm sure coffee snobs are groaning, somewhere

Hermes' Bicycle

2009-08-16T08:11:00.008-05:00

(dedicated to my brother Marvin)

I had originally intended for this to be just a regular bicycle.

I took a blank linoleum block with me to work with no ideas in mind. "Just in case I come up with something," I thought to myself. I did some doodles on a blank piece of paper but nothing grabbed me or came to me, or...

Then I started drawing the bicycle, all the while thinking, "how mundane, how commonplace."

Then from nowhere came the thought, wings, this bike needs wings....

Then I thought, well, if Hermes had ridden a bicycle, this is possibly what it would look like, right?

All this and I hadn't even finished my first cup of coffee....

The print measures 4" x 3". The total dimensions are 6" x 5". It is available on my Artfire store or you can click the button below to be taken directly to PayPal checkout.

Yet another block, I think I'm on a roll...

2009-08-11T17:33:00.008-05:00

Someday I'm going to have to take a break from carving all these linoleum blocks and actually get down to printing them. Maybe I will start tomorrow...

I started on this one Saturday morning at work. Sometimes I work out the compostion on tracing paper and then transfer it to the block by burnishing the back of the paper. Not this time. I put the blank block and linoleum cutter in my bag without really knowing what I was going to do with it. Once there, it came to me. I drew the design directly on the block with a pencil and then went over it with a medium point Sharpie. Then I started the carving.

Once I got home I kept on carving. I worked slowly and steadily, to be sure. This is the most detail I have ever put in a block this small. It measures 3" x 5".

Almost finished, just a few more grapes in his beard to carve out...

And here is the proof I pulled from the finished block. I might tweak it a little bit before printing the edition. I'm not sure. I kind of like it the way it is and so far I've gotten some favorable responses.

It will take me about a week at the most, but the next step is printing an edition (50? 75? I haven't decided), letting the ink dry (3 days at least), hand-coloring each print, then signing numbering and dating them.

And oh yeah, these will be available for purchase. Pre-orders are accepted. Contact me for pricing information.

ADDENDUM: I failed to mention that the blockprint is my rendition of Bacchus, the god of wine. That is why he has grapes in his beard.

Hanging the Edition

2009-08-06T17:50:00.003-05:00

This is what I did yesterday afternoon. My first (at least partial) edition. Once the ink dries, which takes a few days, I will hand-color these with watercolor, sign and number them.

I guess mostly I was proud of the drying line idea. I tried to think of all the ways I could anchor a line in this tiny little space of a studio. Then I hit on the idea of stringing it between the louvered folding doors of the closet. They never get closed so they might as well serve a purpose. I fashioned some hooks from heavy gauge copper wire and attached them on each end of picture wire.

And it works like a charm!

Dispossessed

2009-08-04T20:42:00.003-05:00

You may recognize this from an earlier posting. It was a drawing I posted several months ago but this is a linocut. This is the first print I pulled from the block and I'm pretty happy with it. There's usually more cutting to do on the block. In that light, I guess I'm glad I stopped when I did.

The heart I colored in photoshop, but once I start printing the edition, it will be part of that process. Or I might just hand-color it with watercolor. I'm still not sure...

My grand plan is to print full editions of all the blockprints you will see and have seen here. Once I get a few blocks printed in this manner they will be available for purchase. I have yet to even set up a store but am looking at either Etsy, Artistful or Art Fire.

Now, here is the thing, though. If anyone would be interested in purchasing a print now, I would be interested en kind. Just e-mail me and I'm sure we can work something out.