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Painted woodcut- Common Loon

12/1/2016

My father in-law gave me a commission to make artwork using this piece of bark that he found that looks like a loon’s head. I decided to make a woodcut of the rest of the bird, but instead of printing the woodcut I’d paint the negative space by hand and roll black ink over the raised portions (the positive space, and it ended up being black acrylic paint) and the original woodcut would be the art instead of a print of it.

34” x 13”- Acrylic on 1/4” plywood (birch, I think) with a red glass bead for the eye.

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Gonna start up this blog thing again, and a new interpretive sign along Crystal Springs Creek

12/1/2016

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Although I write the occasional post for the Crystal Springs Partnership blog, I have been comepletely inactive on my own blog for several years now, but I intend to change that beginning now.

This past week I participated in the installation of my first interpretive sign at "Crystal Corner", at SE 21st Ave. and Spokane St. in Selwood (in Portland) where there is an overlook at a bend in Crystal Springs Creek. The project was the work of a group of neighbors organized by Robin Jenkinson, who is the former Restoration Coordinator for the Johnson Creek Watershed Council (JCWC) and until recently lived across the street from the site. Crystal Springs Creek is a tributary of Johnson Creek. I volunteer with both the watershed council and a group called the Crystal Springs Partnership.

Myself and Crystal Corner neighbor Daniel Yantz. We each dug one hole, while another neighbor, Lane Brown, supplied the concrete, forms and bracing. Photo: Lane Brown

Robin applied for and received a Partners in Conservation (PIC) grant from the East Multnomah Soul and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD); this grant paid for me to do the artwork and layout as well as for the fabrication of the sign. The project included several work parties involving removing weeds, planting native shrubs and trees, applying mulch and placing a series of wooden salmon cutouts on a fence along the stream. The subject of the sign is wildlife (esp. birds) that frequent the site or live in the stream. The basis for the artwork is a series of scratchboard peices that I scanned, scaled up or down, and edited with GIMP (similar to Photoshop) and Illustrator. The sign was printed and fabricated by Pannier Graphics in Pennsylvania, who's agent Liz Coates provided essential advice in getting the final digital file ready for production.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to do the sort of art that I really want to do, and to be paid for it as well. Folks seem to like the sign, and even I think it turned out well. Much thanks to Robin, Lane, Daniel and the other neighbors that were involved in making this happen. Also thanks to the organizations involved EMSWCD, SMILE, and JCWC.

Currently, I am working on an interpretive sign for the City of Gresham with the theme of naturescaping (gardening/landscaping for wildlife benefit).

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Painted woodcut- Common Loon

﻿ Gonna start up this blog thing again, and a new interpretive sign along Crystal Springs Creek

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Gonna start up this blog thing again, and a new interpretive sign along Crystal Springs Creek