Yes, I am counting the days since my last blogpost. Oh dear, it is definitely more than a count of 5 as the print above may suggest. Sorry for the looooonnnnnnnggggg delay. I just get caught up with daily life on both sides of the ocean, and, well…time passes. The above panorama was created using the Orkney woodcut technique over the past number of months and I am finally and proudly showing it off. Yes, it is for a future book and is already a set of birthday cards! New arrivals in my family may have something to do with the subject matter!
Since my last post, I have taught two workshops at the https:WoodstockSchoolofArt.com in February 2022 and I just finished one at the start of November. The November workshop was three days and that allowed time to create our own barens for printing in the manner I have developed as, the Orkney Woodcut way, a version of the Provincetown print.
Making an Orkney Baren
To make an Orkney baren, you need a nicely rounded stone that fits well in the palm of your hand that you know you will want to use to create pressure for your hand-pulled print.
Each felted stone has its unique colouring. We used fleece from the seaweed eating sheep of North Ronaldsay, Orkney.
All subjects can be used for a successful print. From teapots, to flowers, trees and more, this process is simply just fun! I am currently working on trademarking this word PRAINTING. Yes, this process combines the joy of painting with the unexpected thrills that come from printing. It is a divine monoprint that you have a lot more control over.
Current Exhibitions
Four of my original woodblock prints are framed and on exhibit with other instructors from the Woodstock School Art. The Lockwood Gallery is hosting this exhibition. Purchased paintings help support the School.
This above abstract is the second print version from a block that I carved last summer as one of the artists in residence at the https://NessofBrodgar.com which is a highly important active Neolithic excavation in Orkney. My inspiration was the way some puddles on certain stones interacted with the reflection of the earthy colours all around. I then embellished the print on the paper, with marks similar to those found at the site. The result is an abstract. The only other person who can trace the shapes and nuances back to the dig, is the site director, Nick Card. I suppose my colour choices makes this abstraction a bit mid-century modern in feel.
The other images are landscapes from sunset vistas and mountains, fields of farms, to winter scenes and ice patterns on a lake or loch. Whether in Orkney, Scotland or the Catskill Mountains, my inspiration is the same. Undulating hills and sky often punctuated by the moon or sun, is my constant joy to paint, print or “praint!” Curator, Alan Goolman, has really arranged the show well. I am honoured to have my prints in the same small gallery space as Kate McGloughlin whose landscapes of the hills around the Ashokan reservoir fill up the space with colour and light as well.
Here is a link to the Christmas exhibition at the Lockwood Gallery in the Woodstock, New York area. All work is available online. https://woodstockschoolofart.org/exhibitions/instructors-exhibit-at-lockwood-gallery-2/
I also have work on exhibit in the Christmas exhibition at the Pier Arts Centre in Stromnes, Orkney. In Orkney, I have concentrated on my watercolours.
Watercolour in Other Forms
Watercolour is also my choice medium for my 2023 calendar. You can purchase it directly from Orkney, here: https://island-to-island.scot/product-category/art-works-of-the-earth/2023-art-calendar-jeanne-bouza-rose-artist/
Well, I guess it is better late than never even when counting the days, they just fly away!!! Yes, that is me painting outside on a fairly warm day in Orkney. There is hardly any wind such that I left a canvas sitting on the ground and didn’t worry about it blowing off into the loch behind me. I am sitting painting at the Ring of Brodgar, the third largest stone circle in the UK. I made a series of small works that are so bright during this nice weather in September. This is what happens when you paint outside; the colour becomes the story.
Changes in Stromness Studio
My studio partner in Orkney, Sue Shackelton of Ginkgo Gallery, has moved south to England. I am now sharing my space with a delightful enterprise, LOLLIE and LAINE. Two local woman are both creating and retailing all sorts of wonderful giftware items to fit a budget. It is thanks to them that you can still see my art in person and purchase originals in oil and watercolour, in Stromness, in Orkney, Monday – Saturday 930-430. If you are in Orkney, go visit and see for yourself!
Hopefully, I will continue to get these blog posts out more frequently. I always find something to say and always have photos to share. I am even getting better at transferring photos from my phone onto my computer! Will wonders ever cease?
New Prints on Demand Website for Oil Paintings
Looking for a gift idea? https://jeannebouzarose.com is where you can purchase my artwork as certified giclee copies.
Have a great holiday!
Jeanne