Private Art Classes Seattle Self portrait with Portuguese Tile

Here's what has been going on in the studio during this 2023 winter session. 

I am currently only offering private sessions and it has been a pleasure to be able to spend  more focused time on each project. I combined 2 of my favorite projects into one and they turned out beautifully! 

This student is 11 years old. The finished piece is 17"x15." The background is an original desgn block print by the student. We drafted quick sketches of a few designs, carved a sample and did a printers proof before printing on the finished piece.

 The design phase.

Work in progress. We did not complete the printing in one session, so I decided to keep the staggered edges to help match the ink color when we finish printing. The drawing is very delicate, the pale blue background compliments the drawing nicely.

 Testing the block.

When printing a block with radial symmetry the design is drawn with the block positioned like a diamond. With the center line down the middle from point to point. As the block is turned to print a complete square, each corner then begins to create another design.

A few of my small test carvings to demonstrate how the designs grow when printing a block with radial symmetry.

A design does not have to be complicated to be effective. Think about having a 50/50 ratio of positive to negative space. Pay attention to the corners, carve away some and leave others behind. Experiment with borders.