What are the 3 big changes for 2017?

First?change, more etchings:

My new focus ?for 2017 is printmaking, and that means more original etchings?for you. Good news,?because etchings are quite affordable.

Second?change, more discounts:

I have learned in my life that original art provides hope and comfort in hard times. In recognition of our new?global?feelings of uncertainty, I have discounted most pieces on my website. If there is a work of mine that you have admired, check it out in my?online galleries, There's a good chance the price has come down.

Third?change, fewer emails, more artwork:

Rather than sticking to a?schedule, I will publish the blog only when there are several?new works to show you, however long that takes. This gives me more time in the studio and gives you more work to enjoy in each post.

Now, on to the 4 new etchings.

The Green Man

Wait, you say, you have seen this before.

Yes,?I blogged about this one?last June. I?described the etching and aquatint processes I used on the two plates. Since then it has waited patiently for my attention, while other pressing matters?intervened.

This month, I altered the plates in various?ways and decided on?colors. Suddenly, the piece has new life, and at long last I am producing an edition.

I began work on this image?during the height of Alaska's summer forest fire season. It points to our dependence on, and neglect of, our fragile environment. It also?suggests that we have?protectors, both seen and unseen.

The Green Man is, for me, a mythic figure standing ready to work with us to protect life, when we are willing. You will find more details about The Green Man?here.

Pink Pineapple

Pink Pineapple is my?experiment with one plate, one color, and two kinds of etch.

I used hard ground etching and aquatint,?then I?burnished some areas smooth to show the spiral pattern of the fruit.

Over the past few years I have been interested in botanical subjects of all kinds. Now I am bringing them into my printmaking work.?Remember the blog post about my pineapple watercolor ? This one is similar, but my model was a different?pineapple.

There really are pink pineapples, and they are gorgeous, but I had to make do with what was available in Alaska. Read more about Pink Pineapple here.

Barn Pulleys' Day Off

One of my favorite themes is?"the secret lives of objects."

These?old bits of hardware are called barn pulleys. Long ago they?were used to?lift hay bales into barn lofts. The design is simple and clever: the rope gets caught tight by the weight of the hay.

They also seem to have really?funny faces. They look to me like characters ready for?mischief (thus the title).

I etched the plate using the?drypoint method, scoring ?grooves directly into the copper with a needle and a roulette, rather than using an etching bath. I love drypoint for its simplicity. However, the lines blur after many trips through the press, which limits the number of ?prints I can make. Find more details about Barn Pulleys' Day Off??here.

Mary's Flowers

I began this soft ground etching last year, but finished it just recently.

The story about how I etched it appears?in this blog post. However, it's creation?really began when I sketched the flowers on my friend Mary's breakfast table.

Because I applied all three colors to the single plate,?I had to be?careful not to let the inks overlap. Then, by leaving some ink on the surface of the plate as well as in the grooves, I was able to give the colors more impact. You can read?more about Mary's Flowers here.

More new work is on the Etchings and Editions gallery of the website. Check it out here.

Being an artist has its joys and challenges, but, through it all, your support and encouragement sustain me.?Thank you so much for being my audience.

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