Linocut Sea Turtle Skeleton Print

Hello everyone.  I cannot believe that it is November already. This year seems to be flying by so quickly. Thanksgiving is only three weeks away and Christmas is less than eight weeks away. Where did the time go? I have started working on a few Christmas crafts but have a laundry list of things to do before Christmas gets here.  Christmas will be here and gone before you know it. YIKES!

I do not have any Christmas crafts to share with all of you just yet, but I do have a linocut art print to show you. This print is a sketchy sea turtle skeleton printed on rice paper. The image was hand carved from a linoleum block. I seem to be developing a fascination for animal skeletons and enjoyed creating this detailed little print.  I loved this print so much that I plan on creating a few more animal skeleton prints.  Who knows, this idea could become my next collection inspiration. I will probably hold off on creating any more prints until after Christmas.

I will keep this blog post short since it is getting late and I am exhausted (not to mention the Packer game is currently on).  I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow.  Remember to share you favorite blog posts on social media and google+.  Thanks for visiting my blog.  ❤ Tia - Copper Blossom Paperie ❤

Watercolor & Ink Altered Barn Owl Print - Simon Says Stamp Blog Challenge

Hello Everyone!  I normally do not blog twice in a single day, but I want to post a special watercolor print I created for the Simon Says Stamp Blog Challenge.  This print was created using a really bad artist proof from my signed and numbered "Barn Owl" edition.  The original Barn owl prints were created using a hand carved linoleum block and an oil based ink on Reeves BFK cold pressed paper. During the printing process, I ended up with several artist's proofs (prints with mistakes, different colored inks, smudges, etc.).  As an artist, I never throw away any art or paper.  You never know when those "junk" papers will come in handy!

I think that the finished print above turned out BEAUTIFUL!  I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out because I was using water based paint and ink over an oil ink print, but I love the effects and colors.

This print is the original black and white "Barn Owl" print.  Like the print I used to create the watercolor print above, this too is an artist's proof due to imperfect printing (uneven ink, unintentional white spots, and smudging within the feathers).  The artist proof I used for the watercolor print had lots of background areas that were poorly inked resulting in a lighter, splotchy background.

The materials used include:
 - artist's proof linocut print
 - tracing paper (to create a mask over the owl)
 -  black permanent marker
 - Dylusions ink spray in colors White Linen, Pure Sunshine, London Blue, After Midnight, Cherry Pie, and Cut Grass
 - Distress paint in colors Black Soot, Mowed Lawn, Chipped Sapphire, and Salty Ocean
 - Distress Ink in colors Peacock Feathers,Picked Raspberry, and Faded Jeans
 - Archival Black Ink Pad
 - Water in a spray bottle
 - Masking tape
 - Stamp with script
 - Fineline masking fluid
 - Workable fixative
 - White Gelli Roll pen

The first thing I did was create a mask for the main owl. I also used a little masking fluid and masking tape to preserve key white areas without over doing it.  I did not perfectly mask the owl because I wanted the colors to bleed and drip into the image a bit. I then started to layer areas of distress paint on the print and sprayed the print with water to get the colors to move. When that layer was dry, I started to spray Dylusions ink spray over certain areas of the image. I blotted some spots right away, and other spots I sprayed with water to create drips.  My After Midnight ink sprayer was clogged a bit, so I accidentally created large splatters on the image. I ended up using other colors to purposely create splatters similar to the After midnight spots. I let the image dry and removed the masks. I decided to use a workable fixative at this point so I could add more layers of color without disturbing the layers of paint and ink underneath. I ended up blending distress ink into the background and into the owl's feathers to get rid of a bit of the stark white. I also added a bit of Chipped Sapphire Distress Paint to the shadow areas of the feathers to bring more color into the owl image. I ended up layering colors until I was happy with the print.  I then stamped some script on the image using black Archival ink. The last thing I did was use a white Gelli Roll Pen to add back a few of the white details in the feathers. Viola, the altered print is complete!

In the end, I loved how the different mediums interacted with each other.  The distress paint worked well on the oil based ink, but the Dylusions Ink spray and Distress Ink seemed to avoid those inked areas and preferred to seep into the Reeves paper. I absolutely love how this altered print turned out and can't wait to try this technique again!

This image is being entered into the watercolor challenge at  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog.  I am apologizing in advance if I do not post to the blog for a couple days. I have been physically exhausted all week due to returning to work after a six month medical leave. Despite my surgery being successful, my ankle continues to be extremely painful and swollen.  Anyway, I will try to post to the blog and create art if my body allows it.  I hope all of you have a fantastic Thursday tomorrow. Take care. ❤ Tia - Copper Blossom Paperie ❤

Another Throw Back Thursday!

Good morning. Glad you took the time to visit my blog on this fabulous Thursday.  I personally want to thank everyone for following my blog and sharing its contents on social media.  I have nearly reached 1,000 views since I re-started the Copper Blossom Paperie blog 40 days ago.  I cannot thank you enough for all the support.  I love sharing my artwork with all of you and hope that you leave my blog inspired to create art.

It has been a while since I shared a throw back Thursday post, so I decided to write one today.  This artwork is a linocut print I created for a gallery show in 2005.  Like other works I created at the time, this piece represents the connection between humanity and nature.  The entire show revolved around the idea of people modifying the natural world to better suite our commercialized society.  This particular print was an artistic interpretation of a genetically modified plant.  I have been against GMO's (genetically modified organisms) since their conception in the 90's.  For some reason, this topic tends to show up a lot in my artwork.  When I created this print, I wanted to evoke the idea of genetic modification going too far.  Can we create plants that think and comprehend like we do?  Will plants one day have a skeletal structure?  Can these plants turn around and genetically modify us?  I know the notion of plants taking over the world one day is a hard idea to grasp, but I like to think that nothing is impossible.  What if plants could one day grow us a new brain or heart?

This print was also meant to signify the link between GMO's and disease.  At the time, GMO's were considered safe despite the lack of adequate studies.  No one knew the long term affects of GMO consumption.  Unfortunately, the last 10 years have shown that GMO's are indeed unsafe to eat.  Now days, chronic diseases like autism and ADHD can be linked to the consumption of genetically modified plant material.  I am glad that several food production companies have voluntarily removed GMO's from their packaged meals over the last couple years.

I hope this blog post didn't read too much like a science essay.  Please comment below and let me know if you liked this post.  If you enjoy reading my posts, be sure to subscribe to the blog via email or google+.  Thanks for stopping by.  ❤ Tia - Copper Blossom Paperie ❤

Throwback Thursday From My College Days

Hello Everyone! I am sorry that I didn't post to the blog yesterday.  I haven't been feeling my best lately and needed a short break from life.  I am still sick, but wanted to do another Throw Back Thursday, so here I am.

These two linocut prints are from a collection I created in college.  I enjoy creating art that shows nature interacting with man-made objects. In this series however, I wanted to depict the survival of nature as our human world technologically grows and changes.  I want to evoke the question of whether or not our current world is better than the world that has naturally evolved over billions of years.  Yeah, it is a pretty deep concept.  As an artist, we can creatively depict whatever concepts we want in our art whether your art has a political vibe, gives animals a voice, or depicts socioeconomic inequality in our communities.  I personally connect with the energies of nature and wildlife, so that is the main focus of my art.

I hope you enjoyed this Throwback Thursday!  Please comment below or share this post on social media if you enjoy the blog.  Also feel free to subscribe to the blog so you can keep up on current projects, freebies, and new items in the store.  Take care everyone!  ❤ Tia - Copper Blossom Paper Gallery ❤