miscellany

Independence Day segued into a week long vacation, followed by an additional week of catching up from holidays and lazy days. Midsummer has rapidly become late summer - or at least it feels that way. 

It’s expected that a typical Ohio summer contains a fair amount of hot weather, but this month has been positively steaming. Nightly thunderstorms and daytime temperatures in the 90s this past weekend coincided with the Akron Arts Expo. I spent only a couple hours at the Expo this year, as a visitor, not an exhibitor - quite a switch after twenty years as a participating artist. The decision was made last March, amid the late snows and chilly temperatures, so I can take no credit for being prescient about the rain, heat and humidity.

Next month there are a couple one-day festivals on my schedule. Coming up are the University Park Art & Music Fair at Grace Park, near downtown Akron, and Art in the Square, right up the street in Highland Square. I’m looking forward to catching up with fellow artists, patrons and friends at both of these events. . . let’s hope cooler temperatures prevail!

University Park Art Fair
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Grace Park, Akron, Ohio

Art in the Square
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Highland Square, Akron, Ohio

Although it’s been sunny, hot and humid all month, at 11:28 this morning it was official: this year’s beautiful, abundant spring passed the torch to summer! It’s no surprise that the daylilies, which have been blooming for weeks, are ahead of schedule - the perennial garden seems to be on fast forward this year. Can vegetables be far behind? The stalks of corn in local farmers’ fields are sporting tassels. City Fresh started last week with shares that included a bounty of herbs, greens, squash and strawberries. It’s time to celebrate the solstice and the season of the sun and the strong sun moon!

Daylily
mixed media: pastel/watercolor
private collection

Hats off to Every Blooming Thing for the marvelous Friday evening reception that opened my little summer show - and many thanks to everyone who attended!

Arranging a selection of small artwork on the gallery wall was a pleasure. Included are block prints, monotypes, mixed media and even a couple watercolors - light, airy and fun pieces compatible with the brightly colored, cheerful interior of Every Blooming Thing.

Hard to miss this announcement:

Blooming Artist Series featuring the art of Joan Colbert
June 11 - July 30, 2010
Every Blooming Thing
1079 West Exchange Street
Akron, Ohio

top image:
Millie
hand colored block print

It was a picture perfect spring day outside and a delightful day inside - thanks to everyone who came by for my annual open studio!

Congratulations to the door prize winners: BlackbirdBox/Glendale Crow will be delivered to Bill O. and a set of Cawing Cards, letterpress and block print notecards, are headed to Janie F.

Today turned out to be the perfect prelude to spring. . .
Now, just how could Mr. Collins have known? 

Carpe Diem

Maybe it was the fast-moving clouds
or the spring flowers quivering among the dead leaves,
but I knew this was one day I was born to seize-

not just another card in the deck of the year,
but March 19th itself,
looking as clear and fresh as the ten of diamonds.

opening verses of Carpe Diem by Billy Collins
from Ballistics, 2008

Long ago (or not so long ago, depending on your perspective) a lot of graphic work was done in-house on offset presses. In the publicity/display department at the then Akron Public Library (now Akron-Summit County Public Library) we designed fliers and other print material on paper masters. Design elements consisted of hand drawn lettering and illustration along with the standard IBM Selectric type. The masters were then sent to the print department, otherwise known as ‘Dave and the Addressograph Multigraph.’

Maybe it was a touch of sentimentality for the name, a fascination with printing, or a total lack of reason that compelled me to acquire this Gammeter Multigraph. Invented in the early 1900s in Cleveland, Ohio, it was originally touted as an economical way to quickly produce personalized multiples for advertising and customer communication. Patented on March 10, 1903, Harry Gammeter’s Multigraph heralded the age of form letters and mail merge.

The type is still set from its last job and, since there are no instructions, it will probably remain that way.

Maybe the next time you are waiting for your inkjet printer to finish you might want to check out some of its forebears here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hooray for Groundhog Day and today’s hounds on the Daily Drool Calendar, where every day is hound dog day!

Happy New Year!

Pink and Orange, creatures painted by Maggie and Ben for Land of the Midnight Sun at First Night Akron 2010, Summit Artspace.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 

Even the hibiscus overwintering in the basement decided to dress up for the holidays! With all the rushing about at ground level, this Christmas bloom almost went unnoticed.