I've been on a bit of a vacation from art for the last couple years, mostly due to my pregnancy and now my new role as a mom. This small and oh-so-sweet human who has filled our life with so much love, joy and sleep deprivation  this past year, has tipped our whole world on its head and rearranged our version of "normal." The first year has past, and we are falling into new routines as what we consider to be important shifts. I know a few artists who are moms, and am in awe of how they manage to find the time to fit in their art with all the demands of family life.
It's hard. It's exhausting. Especially with small babies.
But we want it all. 
And it's worth it.

Teaching art is seriously one of the best "day jobs" an artist could ask for. Not only do I get to share my love of art and connect with people who are interested in creating art, but I learn just as much from watching kids create and flex their imaginations with uninhibited abandon. It keeps me on my toes to come up with new things for them to do, as well as, keeps me creative and thinking differently than I would within my own artistic practice. I find I am at my most creative when I am playing along with my students because I am not focusing on perfection, or good technique, or what sort of conceptual relevance the work might have. It's just plain ol' fun. And to me, that what it's all about.

I have to admit when I started art school (many moons ago) I had no idea what printmaking was. I'm finding it seems to be a common question when I tell people I am taking a print making class. (No, photocopies and Giclee prints do not count, in this case.) Printmaking is a process (or rather many processes) of making multiple works of art from one image. Each print is considered an original and not a "copy," as each print is hand done. And a lot of work, might I add. The term Printmaking covers tons of different processes; Woodblock and linoleum cut, lithography, engraving, etching aquatint, and so on. When I was attending ACAD, I took a screen printing class, and I've dabbled a little in lino cut prints on my own, but this class is opening whole new doors to art making. We are primarily covering Intaglio  printing processes, where the ink is applied beneath the original surface, link in an etched line. So far we have covered Drypoint, which was strangly addictive, despite my aching arm. Drypoint is drawing (and scratching and digging) into a copper plate with a sharp tool, applying ink into the lines, carefully rubbing off the ink the surface of the plate, and then putting it through the press with pre-soaked paper. Pull up the print and Voila! Now do it again. And again, until you get and edition of identical prints. Not as easy at it sounds. Since the plate is inked each time my hand, we often have to pull a wholotta prints to get a few that match perfectly.
Yesterday we learned about acid etching, which is WAY easier on the ol' carpal tunnel elbow. After cutting, filing, polishing, and de-greasing the copper plate, we covered it in a "hard ground" made of ashphaltum and bees wax. Now drawing onto the plate only required drawing through the hard ground layer, and putting the plate into a bath of Ferric Chloride acid to let the acid eat away the exposed lines. Fun! 
I am busy preparing my plates to be etched and printed next week, and can't wait to get back into the studio!

In with the new! After a year of not creating much artwork, due to wedding planning and working like crazy to pay for said wedding, I decided it was time for a fresh start! New husband. New artwork. New web site.

I am excited to be on a roll with my new series of drawings. I am spending more time than ever on my art work and it feels good! I am currently enrolled in a print making class at Red Deer College to learn the ins and outs of Intaglio printing. I am excited to add these new techniques to my roster of ways to make things. 

It's going to be a great year!