whale

The Big Humpback on the Big Tuna

/ mardysears / 1 Comment
p1000087-2
Mysticeti, prior to final tweaks and inking.

On Saturday, September 14th, I spent the day in Nashville, printing with Big Ink at Hatch Show Print. Lyell Castonguay and Carand Burnet from BIG INK showed up with their expertise and the ‘Big Tuna’ press to help seven artists print oversized wood blocks. Lyell inked all the blocks and ran the press, while we cleaned the blocks, loaded the paper and helped lift and hang the print. We definitely needed many hands to complete this project. Thank you to BIG INK, Hatch Show Print and all the participating artists, including Jen Wright, Duncan McDaniel, Jennifer Garrison, Lauren Medford, Randy Stewart, Juan Rojo and Catherine Maldonado! Also thank you to Daniel Lonow the Haley Gallery manager for hosting, and for giving my family a tour of Hatch and the hidden parts of the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was so great to meet everyone and spend a day making beautiful prints!

Photos from the event were taken by my lovely husband, Venkatesh Gopal.
Lyell Castonguay from Big Ink, inking the blocks.
Lining up the inked blocks on the ‘Big Tuna’ printing press.
Lyell getting ready to print.
Signing the first print.
I caught a big one at the Haley Gallery at Hatch Show Print.

Big Ink project

/ mardysears / 1 Comment

I’m at the Whiteley Center for almost two weeks working on a huge block for the Big Ink Project at Hatch Show Print in September. I’m very excited about participating, and I’m working hard to get the block done in time. It’s been a while since I carved anything this big and although I knew what I was getting myself into, I’m realizing that this is going to take a lot of work and dedication! Back and neck ache? Sore wrist? Scraped knuckles? Yup, Advil may be needed.

Day 1

Day 2


Day 3

Writing backwards

Let the Obsession with Earth and Water Continue

/ mardysears / 2 Comments

I continue to create ocean and sealife from earth, and I’m finally beginning to feel some satisfaction. The whale is my favorite by far, and on my third try I finally have a large stingray tray. I’ll have to sell it before I break the tail! It was a challenge to get all these pieces home on the el train. I had visions of lurching trains and stingray tail stabbings.

I use this tray to hold tomatoes on my kitchen window sill


The tray bottom is a more opaque white because I used porcelain slip under the white glaze.

Cephalopods painted in black underglaze

Tiny stingray brush rests

Polar Vortex!

/ mardysears / 2 Comments

Well the Polar Vortex has reached Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago is shut down for two days, so I don’t have to go to work. I’m spending my days holed up inside my home, cooking good food and catching up on lots of small things that I rarely have the time to do. This seems like a good time to take photos of my new work in the light of mid-morning.

I have gone in a slightly different direction for my Plankton (nickname Tinkamink) project. I decided to make a limited edition artist book before working on the wall installation. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, I have had some work accepted by Vamp and Tramp, and they are interested in the Plankton book, so I quickly finished in order to ship to them. Secondly, I have applied to the Whitely Foundation for an artist residency at Friday Harbor Labs on San Juan Island. It is there that I hope to focus, and complete the wall installation of Plankton. Wish me luck!

Plankton artist book

 

I have also taken photos of some of my recent pottery. I’m getting a bit better at predicting the outcome of some glazes at the Pot Shop Evanston and I feel I’m beginning to develop a personal style.

Ocean gleaming bright, salty tasting, glistening, never ending sea

Batter bowl, honey mustard glaze

Slab built tray at a Ware workshop (Ware glaze)

Sea urchin votive, honey mustard glaze with ash

Venkatesh’s Christmas mug, black underglaze with cinnamon glaze

Yes I’m Making Art!

/ mardysears / 3 Comments

image

image

image

Besides binding the book I wrote for Ashwin, ‘Sound Horn Okay’ I have been able to work on some other fun things. I have been making some Envelope Drawings of animals. They are fun and I don’t have to think much, they are pure play and who know where they will lead? On our wedding anniversary I was thinking of our time on the Cape and our beach wedding so I made a large ink wash drawing of a hump back whale. It seemed appropriate somehow, working on Indian truck prints in Chicago and whales in Bangalore. I bought the paper in Chang Mai, Thailand. I wasn’t sure at the time how I would use the printed gold sheet, I only knew that I loved it. Maybe I’ll draw some ships while I’m landlocked in Bangalore too.

humpback

image