Worktable Wednesday - computer day

Camping and our local mountains are foremost in my mind today as I sit preparing my next collection of stamps for production. I am creating a grouping of creatures from our local forest along with the human experiences of camping in our wilderness.

Working on the computer all day... not my favorite thing to be doing. Spending time dreaming about my next adventure in the pines.... makes it more pleasurable.

The prototypes will be in the shop by the end of the month and the manufactured versions by the end of July {fingers crossed!} You will know when I know. Happy trails.

Beautiful California. The black blob is our Los Padres Forest.2700 square miles of habitat with Mt. Pinos being it's highest peak at 8831 feet. © N Strasburg

hiking anyone? © Strasburg

our friendly black bear fresh out of hibernation © Strasburg

campfires © Strasburg

roasting © Strasburg

long hikes © Strasburg

and a good tent © Strasburg

O.S.C. obsessive stamping compulsion

The latest items have just hit my shoppeee, my newest obsession with hand carving stamps. It all started with the idea of wanting to make my own wrapping paper for the holiday. OF COURSE it was pet inspired, border collie infatuation and sincere pet worship which has been perverted into my foray of making hand made, hand carved rubber stampages.

It started with my own dogs, then dogs playing frisbee and then I thought "hey! why not all the breeds!" and "why not portraits of friends dogs?" I continued to spin out from there. I want to carve anything and everything. Dogs first... then maybe some cats... other beasts, and we'll see. I'm in the falling in love stage so anything and everything seems possible.

Here are the first stamps made and you have to mosey over to the Etsy Shop to see more and then keep checking back. I'm at about 4 dozen dogs at present {and counting!}.

New Greeting Cards

Two of my favorite images, Sky Hole and Creek Grove, are being made into greeting cards. You will be able to find them in my shop by the end of next week.

New Prints on Etsy

It was an experiment. Four years ago I was asked to participate in a show focusing on the California missions. I was reluctant to agree and then thought that perhaps through printmaking I could make something more interesting, more graphic, a suggestion of the mission styling without overly romanticizing the heavily touristed landmarks of our state.

I was assigned La Purisima, Santa Ines and San Fernando Rey, none of which I had visited in years. It was a project to research, kind of left brain which is kind of like printmaking, problem solving mixed with some creativity. I had a good time trying although still given a choice it's not a subject matter I would generally lean towards. But I can embrace architecture and the printing process is never without it's rewards no matter how hard one flails in it's processes.

I've decided that these images have been too long in my drawers and it's time they are respected as part of my creative repertoire. Somehow there is still a nagging feeling that they would be better on a Tshirt, but that's just me.

These are now listed in my Etsy shop... who knows maybe the Tshirts won't be far behind!

Mission San Fernando Rey doorway image 6x4.5" matted to 15x12 3/8"

Mission San Fernando Rey fountain/collonade image 8x5" matted to 16x12"

A few more wee prints to ponder on Etsy

Two framed, two just matted but all ready and willing to find new homes. Find them listed at my shop on Etsy HERE.

Desert Vista drypoint etching 2x2" matted and framed 8x10"

Homestead etching 2x2" matted and framed 8x10"

Central Park 3 color linocut 2x2" matted 8x10"

Central Park aquatint 2x2" matted 8x10"

New Prints on Etsy

I just uploaded new prints from my archives to my Etsy shoppee. Aquatints, etchings and drypoints Oh My. All ready for the upcoming gift giving season. More to come!!

Wetlands aquatint 4x4" matted to 14x11"

Waterway drypoint 4x4" matted to 14x11"

Desert Vista drypoint 4x4" matted to 14x11"

Sea sugar lift etching 3.75x9.75" matted to 12.25x16.5"

Keys Sky framed reproduction image 5.75x6.5" finishes size 13x14"

Updates and post No. 200

It's hard to believe that it's already Fall and September will come to a close in a week. Where did the month go?! My exhibition at Sullivan Goss, AIR I EARTH I FIRE I WATER will be up for one more month, closing on November the 1st.


The over-achiever that I am, I delivered far more work than there was space on the walls so the gallery is slowly replenishing and rotating the paintings as they sell. I was told by a friend that many new things were to be found at the gallery this week.

This month has been an amalgam of projects. I spent a week at a classic Japanese woodworking workshop, Moku Hanga, learning a new form of printmaking. (I WILL be posting images, I promise!) Of course coming home from that meant clearing a space in my studio and ordering all the proper tools to be able to make these prints in my studio. At the same time, many group shows were looming. I frenetically went through all my drawers and pulled out prints and started matting and framing for the upcoming onslaught of Fall obligations. It was 3 or 4 days just cutting mats and another putting the frames together. I do think at last I'm ready.

Many of these matted gems are now adorning the lists of my Etsy shop and there are many more stacked and waiting to be added. The black and white prints will follow and perhaps something larger than the 2x2" image!

Here's a preview:

New Prints on Etsy

Now that the show has opened at Sullivan Goss I am finally getting back to all the paperwork on my desk, the lists piling next to the keyboard. Updating my shop is one of the tasks needing attention. Two new prints of the pooches have been added one each of Athena and Skye in their quiet sleep positions.

Etsy Shop update

Well, May ushered in a few surprises and setbacks here in Santa Barbara. I'm sure it was well known around the globe how one third of our town was evacuated due to the most recent Jesusita fire. If you weren't evacuated more than likely you were housing evacuees. With this being the third fire in less the a year, we have had our hands full in this community.

Needless to say I did not get the work done for my shop as anticipated... the fire was only half the distraction. This month I am readying for a show at the Scott Hill Gallery in Northern California. (more on this soon!) He is new on the art scene and still wading in to the art pool. I also found out my solo show in Santa Barbara will be in August rather than September. It surprised me and I am scrambling to make sure that I am 100% ready for the exhibition.

Still, I have managed to keep up with my printing on Saturdays through our Adult Ed Continuing Education classes and have posted two new prints for sale in my Etsy shop.

Yes.... I'm still infatuated with my pets, smitten really. I will post other more landscape type works in future. For now, as for most, it's all about them pooches.

A preview!

Uploaded

Sundance just uploaded the 9 new paintings for sale!

Check them out HERE and HERE.

Don't forget to visit the 4 minis that didn't make it to the catalog.
They are listed in my SHOP.

NEW on Etsy

I have been working with the Sundance Catalog since the summer of 2004. I recently sent them a collection of new paintings that will appear in a couple months in their online store. Four of my small postcard paintings did not make it in this time (I had many to choose from) so I decided to put these original wee paintings up in my Etsy Shop. These are two of the four listed for sale AND if you like these, watch for the ones to show up at Sundance (sneak peek here).

NEW on Etsy

I just added two new items to my etsy shop. New 5x7" blank folded cards newly arrived from the printer.

One listing is a set of 5 of the same image, the image is of the painting Sentinel 02. The other listing is a set of 3 with all different paintings represented.

Check them out HERE.

Inspiration - Deb Babcock

Introducing Deb Babcock and her amazing pottery!
See more on her Etsy Shop

NEW on Etsy

I have just finished listing 7 new items in my Etsy shop.
4 etchings and 3 lithographs.
Check them out HERE.