artwork

“Caw!” said the crow.
“Nevermore” said the raven.
“Boo!” said the blackbird.

Labor Day is past, daylight is lessening and the air is cool and crisp - officially it’s still summer, but fall is within sight. In celebration of all things autumn (and it’s never too early for Halloween, is it?) a few seasonal Cawing Cards have been added to the series. Block print blackbirds are embellished with small letterpress callouts in 9 point Old English type. Check out the new notecards in my Etsy shop.

A little bit of letterpress was added to a small block print of bare trees on this recent notecard design. Individual cards are now available in my etsy shop.

Several days ago the Art in the Square banners went up along West Market Street in Akron. As an additional element in this year’s outstanding publicity and promotion of the festival, each banner features the work of a Highland Square artist (ten this year, ten more to be added next year). The clean, contemporary look was provided by Ron Higgins of Cogneato.

The painting Ron used, Overnight Sensation, is of the bloom of an epiphyllum - and, although it looks fabulous in the sunlight, the actual bloom only appears in darkness, and only for one night. The fragrance is a lovely, otherworldly scent that disappears as the flower fades. Around here the appearance of the epiphyllum flower is an event worth the loss of sleep. Several late nights were the inspiration for Overnight Sensation and the more recent Nightbloom. The epi was also the inspiration for the box, Ephemera.

         
Overnight Sensation, watercolor
Nightbloom, watercolor
Ephemera, acrylic and mixed media box
all are in private collections

There were no inspirational blooms here this summer, only lots of hopeful starts that turned out to be leaves. In contrast, a friend’s epiphyllum had multiple blooms on several nights. She puts hers outside when the weather warms - something worth trying next year.

The bromeliad that looked so lovely at Every Blooming Thing last June arrived at my doorstep in July and has added an exotic touch to the studio since then. The striking color and shape proved irresistable: first there were a few sketches, but brush and paint seemed inevitable.

In the interest of learning a bit of botany: Bromeliaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants numbering around 3,170 species. The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is more familiar (and probably tastier) than the Neoregelia carolinae ‘Raphael’ pictured.

What a fine collection fionadesigns has put together on Etsy: the raven celebrated in a variety of media and styles!  Check out  the treasury here. My little crow has strutted his way into the company of some fine feathered blackbirds, and is available in my Etsy shop.

While on the subject of groups, collectively blackbirds are referred to as ‘an unkindness of ravens’ and ‘a murder of crows.’ Terms of venery, “those imaginative collective nouns that evolved in the Middle Ages when the sophisticated art of hunting demanded an equally sophisticated vocabulary” came into being partly because “our forebears also delighted in the  play of words, and so the use of such fanciful phrases became codified.” Many are listed and illustrated in the delightful book, An Exaltation of Larks by James Lipton, originally published in 1968.

Many thanks to fionadesigns for including my work - it’s very kind, despite being an unkindness!

It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.
Aesop

The diva crows are becoming a series! Two new prints were created just in time to make their debut at a little summer show. Millie is looking thoroughly modern in her cloche, while Flora is ready for a garden party! All will be hand colored as soon as the ink dries.

The Artists of Rubber City 20th Annual Juried Show is now open in the BOX gallery on the third floor of Summit Artspace. Actually, it is spilling out of both the big box and the little box onto temporary display walls set up to accommodate the exhibit. Juror Gianna Commito, Assistant Professor of Painting, Kent State University, chose 50 works, representing a wide range of media and styles, by 37 artists. The closing of her statement, in which she wrote that she “strove to curate a show that presented the strongest and most varied representation of craftsmanship, vision and innovation” resulting in “a cross-section of talent that both complements and challenges the strengths of each artist’s contribution” makes it especially gratifying to have two pieces included in this exhibit.

    
Arctic                            Spring Garden
monotype                     monotype
3″ x 3″                          3″ x 3″

Artists of Rubber City 20th Annual Juried Show
June 5 - 26, 2010
the BOX gallery
Summit Artspace - 3rd floor
140 East Market Street
Akron, Ohio
open Friday & Saturday, noon - 4:30 p.m.

Take a couple nifty little blockprint blackbirds, print on cardstock, add letterpress callouts, pair with matching envelopes and you have cawing cards!

Printed on recycled notecard stock, there are currently two versions. Each signed block print is embellished with a tiny bit of letterpress using 9 pt. Old English type. Cheerio!

Cheerio! and Caw! Cawing Cards are now available in my Etsy shop.

Starting tomorrow owner/photographer, Diane Seskes , will welcome visitors to Spring Whimsy at The Log Cabin Gallery in Peninsula, Ohio. Open for six three-day weekends, Spring Whimsy features the work of nineteen artists - many who will be on hand for the Meet the Artists Reception next week, Friday, May 14, 5 - 7 p.m.

In addition to relief prints (that’s a very familiar crow on the postcard - thanks, Diane!), several new BlackbirdBoxes were created just for this show, including a couple tiny boxes with a photo surprise inside! Here they are, tagged and ready to go . . .

Divas!

Over the past season, the Akron Civic Theatre, long a Main Street landmark, has presented a new series of performances: Akron Civic Theatre Cabaret, staged in the beautiful Grand Lobby. Artists have been paired with each headliner, adding a bit of visual art to the venue.

On April 22 Helen Welch will present Divas!, a celebration of the first ladies of song. Paula Singleton and I will collaborate with a fun selection of millinery and artwork. (And, no, being a diva was not a prerequisite!) Check out Paula’s wonderful creations online at What a Great Hat!  In keeping with the theme, I’m adding a few fashionable blackbirds to my portfolio - diva crows?!