Members' Art, Prose and Poetry

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:53 pm

I like the gincko-y trees the best! They give it a bit of an Asian flare. And the palette, too.

I agree that The Hobbit doesn't seem as inspirational in many ways. Maybe we could do something here to combat that: rerun the Hobbit calendar? Have special searches and reports on other Hobbit art? A thread on favorite Hobbit passages? Because, my friends, the Hobbit is coming and we don't want to be on the other side of the curve!

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:35 pm

That's a great idea, Merry. When we worked on the Hobbit Calendar I found all sorts of things in The Hobbit which I hadn't appreciated before. It's true that Tolkien is not as descriptive in The Hobbit as he is in LOTR, but that means the artist is free to let his or her imagination take flight.

Having said that, my own Tolkien painting (such as it is) is going more in the direction of The Sil at the moment

Riv Res · Post by **Riv Res** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 6:01 pm

Having said all of this ... today is an important day in the TA ... January 15 - TA 3019: Gandalf falls at Bridge at Khazad-Dum.

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 11:09 pm

wow I would find so much inspiration in the Hobbit. From white stags running in Mirkwood, Biblo popping his head above a tree canopy to see black butterflies to Bard taking down Smaug with that fated arrow. Have at it Riv there's so much there.

Riv Res · Post by **Riv Res** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 7:19 pm

I was messin' around with designs this past weekend and all of a sudden (totally unplanned for) there was Smaug looking back at me.

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:05 pm

fabulous, Riv!

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:51 pm

As I said at VW I really love him. He's fiery and scary but beautiful.

I'm in the process of creating Goldberry's waterlily. You can see how far I've gotten here.

Riv Res · Post by **Riv Res** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:44 pm

I love where you are going with that Philipa and I am eager to see how you proceed. Block print is a foreign medium to me and you certainly have caught my attention.

Lindariel · Post by **Lindariel** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:14 am

Riv! This is FABULOUS!!!! O Smaug, the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities!

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:37 pm

Great to see your progress via your blog, Philipa!

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:11 pm

Your Smaug is simply terrific, Riv, terrific and a wee bit terrifying!

Philipa, your blog is really shaping up and I love the way you've shadowed the sunflower with an off-set colour. It really does bring it to life! What a difference.

One lesson I have learned today is there is a difference of how you feel when making art for yourself and not for customers. There's something about pleasing yourself without any expectations to deliver "goods".

So true!

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:52 pm

Thank you M for your kind words.

Iolanthe wrote:
Philipa, your blog is really shaping up and I love the way you've shadowed the sunflower with an off-set colour. It really does bring it to life! What a difference.

One lesson I have learned today is there is a difference of how you feel when making art for yourself and not for customers. There's something about pleasing yourself without any expectations to deliver "goods".
So true!

Thank you Iolanthe. Today I ordered more materials from Dick Blick. They're so reasonable. I was checking out their presses and my husband is thinking of making me one. Let's see if that comes to fruition. It's easy to come up with a workbench but a press with 1000lbs of pressure....that's a challenge.

Riv Res · Post by **Riv Res** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:15 am

I love ordering from Blick. They have simply everything and you can't beat their prices. I think the key is to wait (if possible) until you can make the largest order you can so the shipping cost is worth it. Even at that ... I am a fan.

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:08 pm

I do hope you get your press one way or another, Philipa. I would love a press if I had the space. At the moment I have to make all my prints by hand which I find completely exhausting - that's the reason why my printmaking has been confined to relatively small items so far!

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:43 pm

marbretherese wrote:I do hope you get your press one way or another, Philipa. I would love a press if I had the space. At the moment I have to make all my prints by hand which I find completely exhausting - that's the reason why my printmaking has been confined to relatively small items so far!

Exactly M. I do one at a time. But right now it's all an experiment and to have a press is probably over kill. I'm just having fun with the medium. I've bought a wonderful book entitled Print Workshop Handprinting, Techniques and Truly Original Projects. Everything from block printing to making cyanotype prints is in there. Lot's of food for thought in more projects. It's endless really.