December 29, 2014

"Graves Light Super Moon", Mezzotint



I am happy to be exploring what is a new medium for me.  Mezzotint is a time consuming process relying on subtle changes in value.  The copper plate is hand rocked creating a sandpaper like surface.

October 19, 2014

My current oil painting: A portrait in progress


Etching in Progress



I am working on a copper plate etching of my friend, Mr. Abdulrizak, a book dealer in Cambridge. I was invited to make a print for a project about the bombing of Al Mutanabbi Street in Iraq.  Line etching on copper is a beautiful process.  This is the second proof; I will add more cross hatching to build up the gray and black tones.

August 23, 2014

Painting On Site At Graves Lighthouse


I was happy to be invited to paint at Graves Lighthouse in Boston.  The lighthouse is being restored by Dave Waller who purchased it at an auction held by the Coast Guard.  I was dropped off on a rocky area at the oil house, a small building on the rocky site. 

May 18, 2014

Earthenware Vases with Underglaze Sgraffito

I threw two separate forms and attached them together with slip.  Black under glaze was applied in stripes then details added with sgrafitto carving. 

 I made these vases to explore the idea of beneficial weeds; bees and insects need them.  Images were painted on an unfired jar shape and details were scratched on.

May 4, 2014

The Massachusetts Google Doodle Winner


I was thrilled to hear that my senior art student, Isabel Waller, won the MA Google Doodle contest, "Invention to make the world a better place". The Google team came to the school and had a special program for the whole student body.

http://www.google.com/doodle4google/vote.html#d=d5-4

April 2, 2014

Mystic Valley Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2014

I am always happy to announce the winners of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.  This year, Mairin King in addition to the Gold Key Award  also won a National Silver Medal for her painting, "Body Image Inside Out".  She was invited to attend the ceremony at Carnegie Hall in NYC!

Mairin King, Scholastic National Silver Medalist