Mrs Monoprint and Her New Press

My friend Renee Manford has a new addition at her artist's studio...

... at Clay Space. Well of course there are plenty of potter's at clay space...


... but Renee's thing is painting and her first love monoprints. Now she has her own press.

"Known as the most painterly method among the printmaking techniques, a monoprint is a non editable kind of print and is essentially a printed painting.

The characteristic of this method is that no two prints are alike. Images, however, can be similar, but editing is not possible. The true appeal of the monotype lies in the unique translucency that creates a quality of light very different from a painting on paper or a print, and the beauty of this media is also in its spontaneity and its combination of printmaking, painting and drawing mediums." ~ [M]onoprints.com

The genius behind Renee's new press is Ron (pictured above) who took it upon himself to make Renee a Press with a little help from Vern.


The press is a wonderful mechanism of wheels, adjustment wheels and a bed for the pressing.


Renee paints the image normally on a thick acetate sheet that looks like glass and presses it onto an art paper.


Note the symbol on the bed of the press.


Looking closer I noticed the graph paper under the bed came from Takach Press Corporation of Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you think this isn't a small world, think again. My sister-in-law is married to and now has a married last name of Takach. No Takach is not a common name, so how cool is that.


The press is pretty large but fits cozily into Renee's studio space.


So now Renee can make her wonderful Monoprints at her own studio instead of using the lab at our local Community College and all of her materials and paints are in one place.


This is a great asset to an artist to have a private space for work that demands great concentration, spontaneity, and easy access to tools and materials.


Ron and Vern really came through for their friend, very special.


Renee has a full length mirror on the back of her door and being the snap-snap semi-pro photographer I am I couldn't resist taking this picture then reversing the mirror effect.


I've wanted to take a picture of this firing bed at clay space and finally did it.


I got a sneak peek of the new monoprints that will soon grace Renee's Web Page. This piece is titled "The Red Barn."


I didn't see a title for this ocean piece but I love the colors and light.


"Coastal Bridge" is an example of what I call complex simplicity with a contrast between the detailed bridge and the elegant background.


"Setting Sun - South Beach Yachats" is notable for the lightened sky, shadowy beach and the white capped waves.


"Yachats, OR - View from South Beach" captures the beauty of this unique Oregon beach community with it's famous "La De Da" slogan.


"Home Along the Siuslaw" takes unusually bright colors to depict a home along the mirror like Siuslaw River.


"South Beach Facing Yachats, Oregon" the town and mountains beautifully reflected in the Pacific Ocean.


Deep contrast is fantastic in this monoprint titled "Twilight at South Beach Yachats, Oregon."


I think Renee likes Yachats in this additional monoprint titled "South Beach - Yachats, Oregon."


"Roadside View" is a muted scene similar to so many seen in Oregon.


"Clouds on High" is breathtaking in it's depth and the movement felt in both the sky and sea.


Beautifully filled with color "Coastal Inlet" is simply wonderful.


"Tropical Swim" captures a swimmer in the surf off a tropical beach.


The tropics take over again from Oregon in the paradise of this "Tropical Retreat"


"The Drive, Leaburg, Oregon" takes us from the coast to a small town east of Springfield/Eugene Oregon with headlights on and darkness.


"Phthalo Pool" refers to the blue color of the pool - cool color.

So I looked it up on the Web;

"Phthalocyanine Blue BN, also called monastral blue, phthalo blue is a bright, greenish-blue crystalline synthetic blue pigment from the group of phthalocyanine dyes.

It was first developed as a pigment in the mid-1930s. Its brilliant blue is frequently used in paints and dyes. It is highly valued for its superior properties such as light fastness, tinting strength, covering power and resistance to the effects of alkalies and acids. It has the appearance of a blue powder, insoluble in water and most solvents."

No Scrabble we are watching the movie "The Men Who Stare at Goats"

Quote of the Day ~ “Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” ~ Lyman Frank Baum

Lighthouse to Lucy the Wonder Dog

What do we do when "Cabin Fever" sets in? We go out in the RV.

Sharyn had gotten word the Whales were moving up the coast. So we went to the overlook near the Umpqua River lighthouse. No Whales so...


... we drove back east to Elkton RV park and found out they had ...


...made some nice additions to the fire pit...


... and we were given the site directly next to this great area to sit and watch the river.


There wasn't much going on this time of year. The water was up and it was too cool for swimming. I did get this shot on the river bank.


There were some fully grown green leaves...


... And some just sprouting.


To give you some perspective the bump in the middle of the river and the moss on the rocks...


... looked like this in the summer.


I still love the look of the barn across the river but there was another treat awaiting.


That treat was Bob and his "Wonder Dog" Lucy.


Lucy is a Frisbee dog and a very good one...


...whether the disc is thrown high...


... Lucy follows the flight.


So Bob let it fly ...

... off went Lucy...


... and nearing her target...


... Lucy jumped and gathered in the green Frisbee. In several throws Lucy never missed. Not only that but Lucy brought the disc back about three feet from Bob then with a shake of her head threw it the remaining three feet to Bob, amazing.

Great job Bob from Bend and his wonderful Lucy.

No Scrabble yet

Quote of the Day ~ "My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet" ~ Edith Wharton, American Novelist and short-story writer, 1862-1937

Art Show in Creswell and Art Walk in Eugene

Every event has a muse that rarely takes center stage. The Creswell Library has Carol who makes sure "it" happens...

... and other muses like Esther and Stacy who have the youth and drive to make things go. Of course I can't forget Yaakov Levine the other library staffer, you can't have the time to do all this work without someone "watching the store."

Helen is everywhere and when she stops for a second she puts together a great newspaper "The Creswell Chronicle" our wonderful weekly newspaper.

The woman in the black is Su the Library Director and driving force of library operations.

So it is time for the Annual Creswell Library art show featuring many area artists who presented some really great art work.

Stacy from the library staff brought this great photographic piece and ...

... Esther (the lady at the top of the ladder) painted this great winter scene.

Some of the art like this piece by Bob Hoffman was abstract and flowing..

... while this graceful piece was ethereal and thoughtful...


... and this one was inspiring. The title is "The Plein Air Artist" by Sally Schwader and the artist pictured is a friend, Brooks Hickerson, who formed the Plein Air Artists of Eugene/Springfield. He is an inspiration and a soft spoken ex-Texan. (If there is any such thing as an ex-Texan)

Another friend, Jim Moon, painted this great western scene.

Some of the art just amazed me, I love these goats...

... and Shirley Froyd's chickens.


Some young people from Cottage Grove created several of these colorful collages.


A few miscellaneous shots between art events include the "Hand Grenade" sticker on a car near the U of O. What is that all about?

I also got an interesting shot of a particularly colorful moon rise.

Now it's time for the First Friday Art Walk and I'm in the parking structure on Willamette known as the Parcade and this is their "E" from the second floor.


I didn't do a lot of walking tonight (still getting my sea legs) but got a shot of the Karin Clarke gallery with some patrons viewing the art of Margaret Coe...


Margaret is one of my favorite artists in the area and the mother of Karin...


... also the grand mother of new baby "M" a wonderful lad who worked the crowd along with mom and grand mom. What a great family and exciting gallery.


I wasn't the only camera person there but not nearly as colorful or sparkling as this smiling lady.


One of the things I like about much of Margaret's work are the people that sometimes show up in her works. There is a tiny to the right center in this painting on the point of land.


Renee Manford was manning the Annex which was, like the main gallery, very busy tonight.


I can't tell you how much I enjoy the art walk for all the variation and inspiration.


The art walks are not just for seniors like me I am seeing more and more young people at the walks and only wish I had developed this appreciation spent more time with art much earlier in my life.


The sun had set as I sat on a bench outside the Karin Clarke annex but the sky was still blue...


... and the parcade took on the orange glow of the street lights as art danced and ...

... a street musician played a soft tune.

Scrabble Score ~ Scrabble Queen 314 ~ The Contender 328

Quote of the Day ~

"Ethereal minstrel! pilgrim of the sky!" ~ William Wordsworth