The Lonely Robot

2009

2009-12-29T14:49:16-08:00

I subscribe to the notion that challenges give life more depth and meaning, and hones my ability to appreciate the journey a lot more. 2009 was a year of challenges and hard choices, risk and reward. A good year.

This year, I went all-in with 3 Fish Studios, and focused on making it a sustainable income. It is scary to fly without a net. But it gives me focus. It is a hell of a lot of work - I am both surprised and humbled by the efforts required to not only make new art, but to sustain it: marketing, teaching classes, ordering supplies, keeping stores stocked, bookkeeping, packaging and shipping. A wise man once said that if it was easy, everyone would do it. Too true.

But I love it. I simply love it. And again, it is challenge that makes the reward so much sweeter, because sometimes I get emails that say things like this:

''You do great things in teaching and encouraging creative works.''

I can not say it is great, but it sure is satisfying.

So at the close of this year, I wanted to offer a big thanks to everyone who plays a part in this adventure. Your support and encouragement is helping me realize my dreams.

With that said, here are some of the moments in 2009 that highlight the year for me. Looking back, it was pretty great:

January
A winter drive to Joshua Tree National Park provided the perfect getaway for Annie and I to plan out our year. Nothing like blue skies and beautiful scenery to clear the cobwebs of the holidays and provide focus for the road ahead.
February

For Annie's birthday, we went out on the town for a spectacular dinner. I snapped this picture of a quintessential SF scene on our way to Kokkari.

Also in February, Annie began a series of Sketch Tuesdays at 111 Minna. I love seeing her there with some of the most interesting artists in San Francisco.
March

March brought in fresh leaves on our trees, and blooms in our backyard. Every year, our plants grow in stronger and healthier than the year before. Spring has officialy become my favorite season.

March also brought in the clan from Rossiter Mountain in Ireland. We spend 2 incredible weeks together, going to every nook and cranny of the Bay Area. I snapped this shot of SF from Treasure Island.

I also got this shot of the side of Halfdome in Yosemite, where my brother-in-law Davey and I ran into my cousin Kathleen on the trail to Mirror Lake. Small world, big rock!
April

April began with Think Spring and Carry On, a lovely little event hosted by the amazing Victoria of sfgirlbybay at 3 Fish. My friend Melissa from LaCrema wines came by with some of Sonomas finest. Great time.

April also brought me to Sierra Nevada foothills near Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park for one of the most amazing wildflower displays I have ever seen.
May

May means Annie and I go to Ireland to see our family in Wexford. This year we were able to take a trip to Northern Ireland, too, in order to gaze and walk upon the Giants Causeway in Antrim county. We had stunning, clear weather, and a natural wonder of the world all to ourselves. Amazing.

I shot this as the sun was setting on the path up from Giant's Causeway.

May is also my birthday, and Annie gave a present perfectly suited to a guy who does not really need anything - a robot and some B-movie action figures. Proudly displayed on our mantle to this day.

Man, May was busy! My good friends Jason and Adrianne were married up in Healdsburg at the end of the month. Yours truly did the ceremony - my third since getting ordained. Here is a shot the morning after, having some fun with masks and grapevines.
June

I love how the nights become longer and the light begins to shift into golden beams in June. This is a view from the big windows in the studio. I find the industrial landscape so intriguing.

Here is a shot of the old military fortresses near Cavallo Point, on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. I had never been there before, but I stopped with my friend BA on the way back from the races at Sears Point.
July

Work work work! July was busy with preparing for two Renegade fairs, in Los Angeles and San Francisco. My hand-painted robot prints were a big hit.

Here is a rare sight - my linocut plates all clean.
August

Annie and I escaped the fog of San Francisco and stopped in Chicago on our way to Michigan, for my 25 year high school reunion. As we were walking through Millenium Park, I snapped this photo of a sculpture/installation all lit up. I love Chicago!

When I returned from Michigan, my Mom came out to California for her first ever trip to Yosemite. She really is the reason I began paint and draw as a child, and it was great to bring our sketchpads and do some drawing together. Here is a shot of her taking in Halfdome from the (smokey) valley floor.

My Mom and I went up to Glacier Point, and I had my friend Chip's wide-angle lens. The smoke from the wildfires was casting a eerie orange shadow on the mountains.

The smoke shadow made Halfdome look like it was carved from a block of wood. I am amazed by this shot.
September

The bright days of September were welcomed in on our new deck. This shot really shows it off nicely. Glass of wine anyone?

We also took a fall camping trip to Point Reyes, where I snapped this sunny, yet foggy, scene on the trail to Tomales Point.
October

San Francisco Open Studios, always held in October, was incredible. We had a record turnout for our fifth year, and I sold five paintings in one day. Here is a shot of the studio in full production mode. It looks busy, right?
There are trainyards, abandoned factories, and all kinds of industial relics around our studio. One day in October, I was walking around and found this scene. Something about the design on the front of the train engine, the faded patina of the crossing sign, and the cross-hatch of the fence spoke to me.
November

Living so near wine country means there is always an easy escape to scenes like this. This was taken on the Westside Road on a fall getaway near Russian River.

And living 2 blocks from the Pacific means there is scene like this waiting at sunset almost every day. If only the water were warmer!
December

Home sweet home. December was spent getting ready for 5 art selling events, and coming home to this scene in my living room after hours spent on my feet. Fire blazing, glass of wine with Annie, friends and family visiting. Good times.
Happy New Year everyone!

3 Fish Studios — 3 Linocut Print Special

2009-12-01T15:37:50-08:00

3 Fish Studios — 3 Linocut Print Special.

Yosemite Valley Linocut Print

2009-11-25T13:49:54-08:00

I have been working on carving the relief for this print for the last couple of weeks. Fits and starts at first, but this last week I have really gotten into the challenge of it. Yesterday I spent the better part of 8 hours adding to the 10 hours previously committed. Today, I carved in the sky and pulled my first proofs. This is my most ambitious work to date, and the challenge has been rewarded with what I think is beautiful piece. I want to tell you the story of it.

It started with my love for Yosemite National Park, and this August, I took my mother there so she could see it for the first time. I had a borrowed a good friend's camera, with a wide angle lens, and was able to capture this shot of Yosemite Valley one morning. I knew the second I saw it captured on the display that this was going to turn into something. I started preparing it for a relief print this November, after seeing a selection of linocut prints by Rik Olson, an incredible printmaker up in Sebastapol, CA. His style is so refined, so beautiful. I found it inspiring.

My first step to create a relief print is to convert the image to greyscale in Photoshop, then flop it horizontally. This gives me an idea of what I have to carve on the plate. Then I crop my photo to size, then print it in sections, if necessary. I have been doing a lot of relief prints that measure 10" x 20" lately, so I prepared this one for that size, too.

The next step is to make what I call a cartoon. For the cartoon, I trace the objects in my photo that I want to be included in my relief print. Once I have the contours, I can work out the beginnings of the lights and darks using a Sharpie. And once this step is completed, I take a piece of artist-grade linoleum and cover it with Saral transfer paper. I then place the cartoon on the transfer paper, then retrace my cartoon. This process transfers my design onto the linoleum, which I can then begin to carve.

The first few cuts are the most tentative. As the carving continues, I notice I get much more confident. I teach classes on how to do this, and I always tell my students to 1) Trust the process and 2) Resist Perfection. I also pepper this with saying that it is difficult to spend so much time on something and not have a decent result. So I tell myself the same thing.

Yep, I spent about 20 hours carving this one out. About half of a typical work week. This is what I do for a living now, after all.

It is absolute magic when ink is applied for the first time. All the effort is made manifest, and it is super exciting. I always use Daniel Smith Ink, Traditional Black Relief #79 to be precise. Here is a detail of the first inking:

Next, I lay the inked plate on my Conrad Machine etching press. I could not be a printmaker without this incredible tool, which I have been using some version of since I pulled my first print when I was 18. For relief prints, the uniform blacks that are achieved with a press like this are just amazing. Conrad Machines are manufactured just down the road from where I grew up in Whitehall, Michigan. Last time I was back in my hometown, I was able to stop in for a visit. I blogged about it here.

Yep, I am really happy with the result. Here is the print again, followed by a detail:

Yosemite Valley is available for sale on the 3 Fish Studios website for $60.00. If you like it, I hope you will consider adding it to your collection. And 10% of each sale will be donated to the Yosemite Fund, to help ensure such inspiring natural beauty is preserved for generations.

New York, New York

2009-11-18T16:35:47-08:00

I finished this painting today. I am pleased with the results. It is 48"x24", and is painted with acrylics on canvas.

A New Kind of Printmaking?

2009-11-12T18:11:11-08:00

I have been experimenting a lot with Chine-collé, which Wiki says (quite eloquently) is a special printmaking technique in which the image is transferred to a surface that is bonded to a heavier support in the printing process. One purpose is to allow the printmaker to print on a much more delicate surface, such as Japanese paper or linen, which pulls finer details off the plate. Another purpose is to provide a background color behind the image that is different from the surrounding backing sheet.
The final image will depend on the design and ink color of the printed image, the color and opacity of the paper to which the image is directly printed (plus any inclusions such as petals or fibers in that paper), and the color of the backing sheet.
To bond the paper, I have tried glue sticks and book-binding glue. Both are less than ideal. The glue stick does not cover evenly, and fails to stick to the paper. And book-binding glue, while sticky, either dries too quickly or curls the paper, making it almost impossible to assemble the glued papers on the plate to make the print.
Enter the Xyron. I saw this thing for the first time at Paper Source, and was intrigued. It was on a trip over to Berkeley to visit the good folks at Twig & Fig where the idea to use it to put an even layer of adhesive on the back of my papers was cemented, seeing how they used it for some of their incredibly beautiful custom letterpress work. I ordered one online a few days later.
The Xyron works without electicity or batteries - it is remarkably easy to use. You simply insert your paper substrate, crank a handle, and the Xyron puts a layer of sticky stuff on the back. You peel it off the paper, and boom, you are ready to place it on anything. Handy as a pocket in a shirt.
I am fond of using oragami papers. I am lucky enough to have a Daiso market nearby, so I can get a pack of 100 sheets for $1.50. Cheap! I love the variety of colors. The problem before with the glue stick and book-binding gunk is that it rolled the think, delicate oragami papers like a cheap cigarrette. The Xyron - no problemo. Just insert and stick. Too cool. Here is shot of my friend Tina, who has been helping me out with printmaking projects at the studio these last few weeks. She is making a long line of Xyron sticky-backed oragami papers for our projects today.

Once the papers were coated, I cut them into various shapes, and easily adhered them to a sheet of Rives BFK in different, colorful patterns. It was great fun and very satisfying to make these designs - it reminded me of Henri Matisse and his famous paper cutouts. What if he had a Xyron?

Here are some examples of the background images we made:

Once we had six of them ready, it was time to print on them. I inked up two of my favorite plates, 16 Towers and Sonoma Oaks.
Here is the base:

And here is the base with the plate printed on it:

Cool, right? I thought so - what a blast. Here are some more before and afters:

I could not be more pleased. Tina and I both knew we were onto something, which encouraged us to keep printing until my shoulder gave out. I took a handful of Advil (Vitamin I) and printed just one more:

I will have these for sale in the next day or so on the 3 Fish Studios website. And I will keep making more. I encourage you to give this a try if you are a printmaker. Or hell, come on by the studio and try for yourself!

Why I Will Always Wear A Helmet

2009-11-07T09:48:16-08:00

This past Tuesday, I was enjoying a bike ride to the studio with Annie. It is a great ride - we leave our house near Ocean Beach, enter Golden Gate park at the end of our block, then ride up through the park in the morning sun, then hit the Panhandle, then The Wiggle, then I either hit 14th Street to get down to Potrero Hill through the Mission, or head downtown via Market Street to the Embarcadero for the scenic route past the Bay Bridge and the ball park. It is about 8 miles door to door, and it takes about 50 minutes.
Tuesday I took the scenic route. Annie turned off at Kearny to get to Wells Fargo, and as I continued down Market Street, I vividly remember planning a stop at the Ferry Building to get some fresh bread and cheeses for an afternoon studio snack. The next thing I remember is sitting on the side of the street looking into the eyes of a couple very concerned strangers, and feeling like something just happened.
And something did happen. According to witnesses, my bike tire got stuck in the MUNI track. For those who are not from San Francisco, the MUNI is the municipal railway that runs down Market Street and other streets of the city. And if your bike tire goes into the slot, it either stops turning the wheel, or restricts turning, or something. At any rate, I fell off my bike, and hit the pavement hard enough to lose consciousness for what I am told was 30 seconds or so.
From what I do remember, I was talking to two people, a man and woman, while sitting down at the side of the street. I can not remember what we were talking about. I do remember seeing my thumb,which was bloody and torn. And then, out of nowhere, I see Annies familiar face, and I could not believe she was there. Then I was on a stretcher. Then I was in an ambulance. Then I was in a hospital. Some poking, prodding, xrays, neckbraces, CT scans, morphine, more morphine - Tuesday fucking sucked. I was discharged around 4 in the afternoon, nothing broken, and Annie and I took a ride home in a Luxor cab and I ate strawberry ice cream, some chicken, and had a pint of Guinness on the chair in our living room.
On Wednesday morning, Annie helped me piece together the gaps in my memory. Apparently, I called her after I had the accident. Twice. I told her where I was, which explains why she showed up. It was wild to hear Annie tell me of entire experiences and conversations that I have no memory of whatsoever.
Also on Tuesday, I took a good look at this:

Yep, that is the outside of my helmet. But it gets more interesting:

You know, I look at these pictures, and if I was not wearing this helmet, those cracks would be on my head. My skull. And I am not trying to be overly dramatic, but I think I would have been totally fucked up if I was not wearing it on Tuesday. Even out for the count.
And that thought has not escaped me these last couple of days. I keep thinking that one day you are just riding down the street enjoying the bike ride, and the next thing is - well, there is no next thing. Game over. The End. It happened so fast, and I dont remember a thing about the tire getting stuck, me falling to the ground, calling Annie. It is very disconcerting and strange.
So this Saturday, I am still quite sore, but since I did not break or tear anything, I have been gradually moving through the discomfort a very bruised and scabby left side in order to resume a sense of normalcy. I put on a t-shirt, gingerly lifting my left arm through the sleeve hole. I am very grateful my body is as strong as it is. I am very grateful I am not hurt. And I am just very grateful to be here.
Up to the accident, I was very cavalier about wearing a helmet while riding my bike. No longer. Next time you get on yours, and you think whether or not you should put it on, just do it. Just do it.

10 Hour Studio Day

2009-10-21T18:13:31-07:00

I got here at 8am and painted until 6pm. The painting in the back, named "Oaktown", is finished. The painting in the front, an acrylic version of "16 Towers," is well on its way to being complete. I am going to add some color tomorrow in the morning light, in the hopes it, too, will be ready for Open Studios on Saturday. Who cares if the paint is still wet?
Here is a video of the Oaktown painting - it is so big that a photo doesn't do it justice:
But here is a photo of it anyway:

What an awesome day!

I Think I'm Onto Something - Chine-collé Linocut Prints

2009-10-14T21:09:37-07:00

I'm loving the Chine-collé technique, and the absolute surprise and delight of printing my linocuts on different papers. This one is done on a map of San Francisco. Yep, I think I am onto something - this print looks great in person. Lots of texture. Too cool.

Printmaking Class

2009-09-28T14:39:50-07:00

I have a blast with my printmaking classes. This video, shot with my new iPhone, captures the moment when one of my students discovers the magic of printmaking. She is using a techique called Chine-collé, where you lay pieces of cut paper on the inked plate, glue side up, and run it through the press. The results are, well, see for yourself:

Sonoma Oaks Linocut Print

2009-09-24T20:03:05-07:00

She's finished! Here is the first pull, done around 5:30 this afternoon, and I am happy that the effect I was going for - carving the trees in such a way to simulate the bark - turned out the way I wanted it to.
This print is available on the 3 Fish Studios online store for $50.00.
Here are some other images from the prep:

I documented earlier parts of my process for this print here. Enjoy!