I'm always on the lookout for new techniques and I recently  found one that made me drop my carving tools (temporarily!) and pick up my exacto knife.  The effects looked so amazing that I had to give it a try right away.  This technique is only new to me.  It's actually been around for years and is called "Pochoir" which is french for stencil.    I've used masks and stencils before, but never like this!  The inspiration came from a youtube video I found on Pinterest and below is the video.
On the right are the pieces of bristol board that I cut out to use as masks. These are then inked, put on a piece of acrylic, covered with paper and then put in the press.  I was very pleased with the way my jack bottle press performed.   I used midcentury modern shapes to create these monoprints which I call, "Chillin".  I picture this girl chillin at home with her cat, her lava lamp and her tunes in her ultra chic mid century modern way.  I get so excited when I'm trying something new that I make lots of mistakes.  Luckily no one was home to hear the screams from my basement studio when I filled a giant tub with water to soak my paper only to find it had a huge crack in the bottom.  Water spilled everywhere and flowed under the washing machine where apparently a huge spider lived.  He emerged probably more scared than I, and with good reason because he is no more.  Given all the excitement it's a little strange that I called this print Chillin.  Hopefully the final prints do not convey my fear of spiders or the frenzy of enthusiasm which was me as I rolled ink and tore blotted newsprint everywhere.  I am definitely going to try this technique again, perhaps in a calmer more organized state of mind.  I emerged with 6 new prints.  They are all different.  After the sixth print, the bristol board was starting to disintegrate so there will never be any more of this particular edition.  These will be for sale in my Etsy store as soon as I can get them uploaded.

My poor neglected site has had a makeover.  I've gone from white to black.  I felt it needed a change after so many weeks of being ignored.  It wasn't that I wasn't doing any art.  It was just that when I'm creating and working at my part-time job, I tend to put this website on the back burner.  I hope you like the new look.  I'm sure I'll be tinkering with it endlessly.   However, in the hopes of getting something uploaded, I'm forging ahead.

Here are some of my newest prints!  I always look at them afterwards and think of ways I would like to change them. This can drive me crazy!  I could work on one theme or idea for years, but I have too many other ideas that I would like to start.  So, like this website, sometimes I just have to move on.  All of these are now listed in my Etsy shop and I have more on the way which I will share soon.  I've missed this blog.  I'll try and not leave it  for so long again.