scattered underwear

It's been awhile here. Thank you for still checking in here...it really helps...

I've been moping around about this and that. Mainly: feeling neglected by sisters, being out of touch with cousins, and not being more there for my parents. Well, after a lot of back and forth in my head, it occurred to me that i really need to get a life. I don't have kids yet but i feel like i already know how it is not to be able to let your kids go and live their own lives. It sucks. Well luckily, i do still have my own friends and thank goodness for you guys. ♡

As for studio work, i'm still left with a lot of unfinished pieces that don't seem to be going anywhere. No red red days, you guys :(. I think i need to change my work routine or something. Too much emphasis on having the weekends free to make something that i end up wasting more time scattering about than getting anything done.

My little spoons of joy started not too long ago aren't too happy right now:



I still haven't been able to produce any good prints, even though the copper plates themselves look pretty nice to me:



Sadly realized that i don't really have it in me to be the kind of conceptual artists that i admire. How does one come up with awesome profound ideas? Yesterday, i didn't know where to go with the unfinished works laying around, so i started tearing up some paper. Before i knew it, i had a big bowl and a little bowl of it, and hours had passed.



Instead of getting depressed about how an entire free day passed without accomplishing anything 'substantial', i'm going to start being Okay about spending precious time like this. I like tearing paper. It's also prep work for making the spoons and whatever else later.

spring

drypoint & chine colle on japanese paper,
59.5 x 19.5 cm, 1997

An old print. A mess-up but one of my favorites still. My etching press has been sitting idle pretty much since i got it. Makes me wonder that maybe it wasn't not having a press that was keeping me from making prints again. Maybe the desire was never strong enough to begin with? I don't know. I just know i love looking back at the prints that i did make and seeing the works that these artists are making - Jo, Elisabeth, Sarah...

I didn't go home for Mother's Day and wished i weren't so tired not to make the trip. i miss you, Ma. My dad called today and told me that the cousins surprised my mom with a cake at 9:30pm last night. I can imagine my mom's tremendous delight over it. I totally take back what i said about daughters being better than sons, at least definitely not these guys. You guys are really the best of the best. Sorry, Baby, for missing your birthday too. :(.

Studio work is going slow but steady. Nothing that makes my heart beat fast though. Just some re-painting here and there, making some more little spoons, and started a big one that made me realize why big can be so repulsive. Actually, i don't know why, i just want to bury it.

Spring is here but it's still so chilly on some days. like today. but nice to still be under the covers and just read. I've been reading Kevin Brockmeier's books. I am crazy for his writing. Today i came across a passage from his short story The View from the Seventh Layer that i really like:

"...The heart of every house was the kitchen, the soul of every house was the bedroom, and the mind of every house was displayed with hooks and thumbtacks on the walls. But the conscience of every house...was the bookshelves..."

I guess it doesn't make me feel so bad about having so many things around me that i like to have around.

I wish it'll get warmer soon so i can wear my new flip flops.

my paper underwear

paper and thread, 5 cm red stitched across

Have been making some paper experiments, sketches. This is one of them, made two Saturdays ago. A rough sketch, carelessly torn and sewn together, rather crappy looking. I don't know why i like it so much. Hung it by the window like it is magically suspended in the air! I like looking at it like that. Want to make more paper underwear and prints.

A print made the following day. Five Dirty Panties below:

thread and chine colle, about 3.5 cm each little panties, work in progress

I need to work on it some more. maybe some pencil drawing on top.

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To Carolina: red red prayers for finding dear *Pepe*
*

one beginning

etching, mezzotint, drypoint & chine colle on hahnemuhle printmaking paper, image size 9.5 x 9.5 cm

My first signed print in 9 years. blah blah blah. i finally got one decent wiping of the plate. Feels like i'm just starting over again, not yet picking up where i left off. Totally not like riding a bike.

I'm wishing for magic with these:





and i need to go on my trails.

i think i'm going somewhere with this

an old print torn to strips

So this weekend i have started printing again. Took out some old plates from college years and also some more recent ones that i started last year a couple of years ago. Look how neat my table is. No nasty hair.



(before)

Cat, your hair is everywhere here.

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And this print i thought was horrible is okay after all...

hang in there

Today, another horrible printing day. Could not get any of the chine colle pieces to work the way i wanted them to with the thread or the hair. I keep smelling sour dried orange peel under my nose. yuck. Not at all pleasant-smelling like the dried pomelo. Maybe that is why the day isn't going well. too many rotten peels around. bleh. j.k. nothing is rotting here. just in the process of drying and changing.

Ahead for this month:

*take time (!) working on the copper plates!!! no quick fix laziness.

*sketch out the works for the hair, bowls and fruits
(not necessary to mix everything together though)

*trails time :)!

oh ho ho!

Guess what?! my etching press from the Conrad Machine Company finally finally arrived today!



Was a bit peeved that it took 3 months (almost 4 months?) to get here when the estimate time was 2 months. But when i called to ask what the heck is up with it and that i would really like it before Christmas, the lady i spoke to got back to me pretty quickly afterwards and here it is! yay!



Look at how it is packaged. It is held by wooden supports and screwed right to the box. Pretty sturdy packaging. Not a single wasteful un-biodegradable styrofoam material used. The press weighs 100 lbs. I am waiting to take it out because my place is a mess! and have to figure out how to rearrange my workspace. oh i am so excited.



So did i say i had a happy clutter before? it is not.


stupid book is still in progress...

more banana & grapes

For today's Blog Action Day issue on environment, i was thinking to do a post showing the process of using recycled paper to make these papier mache bowls. But right now, feeling too scattered to show more new work-in-progress, SO, more fruit prints instead. More bananas and grapes again:


[fruit series] chine colle woodcut diptych on arches printmaking paper, each woodcut image 6.5 x 9 cm, 1997


[fruits series] drypoint & chine colle on arches printmaking paper (printed from hard cardboard not copper plate), plate image 7 x 8 cm, 1997

This one above is actually a ghost image pulled immediately from the plate after it had already been inked up and printed on a different sheet of paper. So a paler image was produced from the leftover ink on that plate in the successive printing here. (It is the same plate as the one shown in the previous post Grapes.)



During college, in between meals, i was crazy for fruits, eating maybe 4-6 fruits a day at least, more if i am pulling an all-nighter. So that was how these prints got started, and before i knew it, they became connected with pieces of my thoughts, things from the senses, small details of just being.



...i think that is what a lot of my work is about...



Today i drifted off my usual redwing trail and hiked up a really steep incline. Felt really good to be so high up and be so fully aware of all these trees around me. Didn't realized how steep and high the incline was until i got to the top. Saw some broken bottles and cans scattered about that do not belong here. Pissed me off. Will have to remember to bring a garbage bag with me when i go on the trails now.

Also saw two deer with long tails that looked like nice white fur trimming. Did not know deer could have long tails. At first, i thought they were some woodsmen in their tan work jackets hunched over creepily.

Walked around some more and then suddenly came a rally of these turkey-looking birds bustling by like they got an important meeting to attend. Kept running away from me when i tried to take a closer look to see if they were turkeys or not.

But what startled me the most was this little chipmunk running right across my path out of nowhere. Will have to make John come with me to check out more of this wildlife area of the nature preserve next time.

grapes

[fruits series] drypoint & chine colle on arches printmaking paper (printed from hard cardboard not copper plate), image size 7 x 7.5 cm, 1997

peel

[fruit series] drypoint & chine colle on arches printmaking paper, plate image size 8.3 x 7.1 cm, 1997

vineyard

etching, image size 11.3 x 10.4 cm, 1999

The copper plate for this print had been deeply etched, in which it was left in the acid bath for hours and hours. So long that the area where the copper had been exposed to the acid got quite eaten away, creating a sort of a crater-like surface that held a lot of ink when the plate was inked up to be printed.



I was really happy at how much ink was able to get transferred onto the paper when it was printed. It does not show too well in these images, but on the actual print, it has quite a 3-D effect, like that of a small relief painting. I want to explore more of these effects with etching when i get my new press. Want to also continue breaking out of the perfectly squared/straight edges of the plate/canvas.

slice

etching, chine colle on BFK grey printmaking paper, image size 16 x 22 cm, 1997

spoons mountain

watercolor monotype on arches printmaking paper, image size 14 x 11.4 cm on paper size 35.8 x 28.4 (above image is cropped, so you would see more white space around the image in the actual print), 1997

Watercolor image was first painted on printable/paintable acetate [wet-media acetate] and then when it is dry, it is printed on slightly damp printmaking paper, as what you see here.

glued & tagged

pen sketch on white paper scrap, placed on discarded book page, scrap size 15 x 4.5 cm

Okay, it is time to follow up on some tags and awards.

Awhile ago in May, Jade at Spectrescope tagged me, where you're supposed to name 7 random things about yourself, and then tag 7 more people. I just started my blog then so i was tremendously pleased to be mentioned, and by an artist whose work i so was/am crazy for, too. It was there that i broke out and left my very first comment.

Then Uschi at Papierwelt also tagged me. This time, with a list of questions to answer. Again, i was quite delighted, particularly because i am just very fond of Uschi. We never met but right away, i can sense her kindness and thoughfulness, the kind of person you can probably count on for just about anything. That's true, right, Uschi? :).

Not too long ago, i received the Rockin' Girl Blogger from Bridgette at Contemplating the Moon, which is just really sweet because she has already been so generous in linking to me. Bridgette is probably one of the most giving and productive artists out there. I once commented on how i love the blue she used on this painting and how i kept messing up trying to make that same blue. And a couple of minutes later, there was an email from her giving me the recipe for mixing that blue. Is she cool or what?? :).

Finally, very recently, Kim at Something to Say listed me for the Inspirational Blogger Award. Yay! I came across Kim at Flickr and was quite taken by her photographs of flowers. Never really cared for fresh flowers until i saw her pictures. Seriously, i haven't looked at a flower the same way ever since. If you check out her wallpapers, you will know what i mean.

oh boy, this is going to be a long post...



Okay, instead of responding to each individual tag, i will just combine them all together somehow into one happy one:

Random things about myself i've been eager to share...

◙ Hello, World, i just placed an order on a brand-new factory fresh etching press!!! It's just a tiny one but it's real and professional quality (or so that is what i am told). I didn't go for a really cheap one at Dickblick's that i was going to settle for. Instead, i got this one directly from the manufacturer. 20-year warranty, man. yes! but i have to wait two months for it to be made and shipped out to me. I guess i could get cranking on working on those copper plates in the meanwhile...

◙ Intaglio printmaking is my first love that i discovered in college, and could not have asked for a better professor/mentor for it. I actually only got into painting after college because i didn't have access to an etching press and thought it was a more direct approach to putting the image down. But my process is very similar to how i would go about making a print, layer by layer, step by step:

-preparing the canvas [wooden panel] by cutting the panel, then sanding, nailing and bracing it

-creating the image in layers of one color at a time (as how one would prepare each plate of color separately)

-having deeply scratched lines or some kind of texture created on the surface (just like how etching plates are being worked on with the needle tool, burnisher or mezzotint rocker, all very physical).

◙ I probably look like a little kid in the picture above but i just happily turned 30 a few months ago. This is opposed to miserably turning 20 when i was lamenting about how nothing romantically memorable happened in my teenage years, not even a little kiss on my beautiful full awaiting lips. Now i have all that i had wanted and more. FInally! :).

◙ I like to pluck hair. like leg hair and such, especially while talking on the phone or procrastinating. This probably came from when we were little, my dad would have us help him pluck out whiskers that got missed from shaving. I'm not as bad as May who likes to also pop pimples, which extends to grooming other people close to her (picture chimpanzees). Poor Bryan. (Happy Anniversary, btw.)

Okay, i think i should stop now.


banana grapes, etching, drypoint & chine colle on Arches printmaking paper, 1997

Onto people i am anxious to tag (okay, excluding those who have tagged me or you guys would also have been on my list)...every blogger i know probably already has been tagged so i will just ignore that and proceed to mention those who made a difference to my little blogging world (sorry i am totally breaking the rules of the tagging game):

First and foremost, those close to me who do not have a blog (yet) to link to-

◙ Grace and Aliya, for your friendship and constant support right from the beginning when i first started this blog. I don't think i could have gone on so steadily without you guys being there, giving me feedback and making me feel okay about my awkwardness.

I met Grace when we were in AmeriCorps together. I was first struck by her big beautiful poofy hair and her warm smile. And then when i talked to her, she was all goodness, the most non-judgmental person i know.

Aliya, i met in college, also an art major. And she will tell it straight as to how she sees it. Fun, funny, and always genuine. Hoping you and Grace will have your own blog so you can show the world your art and share your crazy thoughts.

◙ And Maisie, for being there even before the blog, someone who i have been sharing my thoughts about where and how i should go about with art and life and just stuff that comes to mind between us. We've been friends since high school and she is the best kind of friend anyone could have. Unpretentious, thoughtful, trustworthy, and also a super talented interior designer. i am hoping we'll be neighbors (just like how we started out) so we can grow old together.

◙ Next, my mom and Ting for your love and believing in me through it all. And Francis (aka "Chuver...") for your craziness and updates of what's going on at home.

My mom, who is creative in many ways: writing, making clothes (including a beautiful wedding dress for May), budgeting finances, making the most out of the smallest space, is probably my biggest fan, as she also checks out all the profiles and websites of every single person who left a comment. So beware. ;).

One of the best things about having this blog is that i can share the process of art-making with people (particularly family and friends) who aren't already into art. Your interest and attention are just as important as any artsy fartsy person, if not more.



And now onto tagging some bloggers...for those who have not been tagged, please consider this an official tag to list some random facts about yourself! And you guys are also tagged with both the Rockin' Girl Blogger and the Inspirational Blogger Award.

◙ dearest Marjojo at My Art Grows Around Me
How do i begin to express how deeply affected i am by your words, your works, your ever perceptive insightful feedback, and the dialogue between us? BTW, i also learn a new word for every post or comment you make. If there was just one art pill to take, i would take yours any time of the day.

◙ crazy (my cousin said it, not me) Anne-Laure at A Path No Wider Than A Pencil Stroke
Did i tell you i love your boxes? and now your recent progression with the tracing paper. My heart is racing for it and i'm waiting to see those images on the big screen before saying more. Right from the beginning when you first left a comment here, i knew we'll be having a good exchange of thoughts and feedback!

◙ Erin, Erin the Sculptress
We have only just recently made contact, yet i already feel some kind of bond with you (sorry if i am imposing myself onto you). I am touched by your thoughts and how you are working through things with your work and what you find around you.

◙ Kruse at Welcome to My Brain
If you go and read through Kruse's blog, i bet you'll come out a little bit different. I think it is really good organic food for the art soul. I'm so looking forward to seeing the new work you'll be posting up, Kruse!

◙ Bobbi at Cobaltika
I love Bobbi's writing and the photographs that she takes to accompany her thoughts. It is like going into a little enchanted world that only she could take you to. Yet, it is all very real how she tells it, her inner thoughts and feelings about things and people close to her. I got hooked right from the first time i came across her blog.

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Okay, that's it. I think i have babbled on for a year's worth of posts now.

opening

etching, drypoint & chine colle on hahnemuhle printmaking paper, image (plate) size is 60.5 x 25.4 cm printed on 81 x 60 cm paper size.


The maroon dark red is the chine colle tissue paper printed/pasted onto the heavier printmaking paper (it was laid on top of the copper plate that has the etched drawing [inked up in blue] and ran through the press to be printed on the heavier paper).

hair

etching, drypoint & mezzotint on arches printmaking paper (cream color), image size 36 x 41 cm on 56 x 66 cm paper size










back of print showing the impression of the little plates printed together.

spoons and forks II

etching (spitbite aquatint, sugarlift) & drypoint on arches printmaking paper, image size is 16.2 x 22.5 cm on 32 x 38 cm paper size
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● To convert centimeters to inches, multiply by 0.4
● To convert inches to centimeters, multiply by 2.54

planet red*

My shelftop of little things and the big red planet candle that i bought all the way from Denver.

*For your curiousity, Uschi. :).

grape stem

woodcut and chine collé on grey BFK printmaking paper (woodcut image size is 8" x 5" on 20.5" x 14" BFK printmaking paper; shown above is not all of the grey BFK paper)

The image of the woodcut was first hand-printed onto the cream color Japanese mulberry paper, which is like thin tissue paper. Then methylcellulose adhesive was applied to the back of the mulberry paper so that it would be glued down onto the heavier BFK paper when running it through the etching press.