Deborah Velásquez: printmaking

Showing posts with label printmaking. Show all posts

Friday, February 7, 2014

Word Path • A Chance and A Vote

Just a small reminder to vote…

you can scroll down for Today's Word Path

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Everyone has a word path. One word leads to another.

Word Paths have been a Friday feature showcasing possibilities in written words, creative process and artistic pieces from the beginning of my blog You can go here, to my first post on this project and see how it all started.

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Here are My Word Path for Today

Today's Word Path works nicely with the West Elm + Minted Art Challenge.
I believe in taking chances.
What is so wonderful is that they are always available, we just need to take one.
Here is my chance, Click here.

Happy Weekend • Take a Chance • Enjoy the Language of Words

Thank you for stopping by.

This is "Where Art and Beauty Meet Lifestyle"©

Please do not use anything without permission or without making note of the origin on your blog or website.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Vote • West Elm + Minted Challenge

I am excited to share that I am in the West Elm + Minted Art Challenge.
I would love your vote!

The winning prints will be sold in West Elm stores and through Minted's website.

Click here to see my main page of submissions, you must rate the designs to count as a vote. You may have to set up a Minted account if you do not have one.
Very easy to do...Just an email address and a password
Here are a few samples of the Art Prints in the Challenge:

Blue and Black Tree

Feather Solo

You can Click on Pages below to see and vote on submissions.

Page 21 two pieces bottom right
Page 22 Full page
Page 23 Full page


you must click on artwork and rate the design and that counts as a vote.

Thank you for stopping by.

This is "Where Art and Beauty Meet Lifestyle"©

Swimming Blue Pods

Please do not use anything without permission or without making note of the origin on your blog or website.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Tests Prints From A Photograph, A Pen, A Print Post

Hand printed test prints from yesterday's post and carving. The bulb onion shape was inspired by an allium-like plant. I created two type of prints. I wanted to do a line print and a shape print. Sort of playing with the positive and negative spaces of my drawings.

Sketches and carved blocks used for printing.

I used this pink rubber block and learned that it is not my favorite to carve on. I found it tough to see my cuts and keep track of my carved lines. When I started to carve on the putty colored blocks it was much easier to see my cut lines. The putty colored block when cut away left a lighter color in removed areas, so this made it much easier to see what you carved. The pink block did not have a difference in color when cut away so it all appeared the same making it hard to see as you worked. I have always preferred the blocks in lighter colors. I find the pink ones distracting to work on.

I find it so interesting that these two hand printed pieces came from the same plant inspirations.

Another hand printed test print created with carved blocks keeping the simple lines of the plant in mind. Now off to work on that curvy stripe inspired by this bulb, onion shape.

This is "Where Art and Beauty Meet Lifestyle"©

Circle Studies and Sketches by Velásquez

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A Photograph, A Pen and A Print

At my desk I have a work in progress, I am back to sketching and getting ready to carve. After a very busy few days finishing up some prints I am excited to create something new.

I found my inspiration in a photograph by my friend Lori Moon.

Lori, a fellow blogger, has a series called Shared Messages from the Universe on her blog. Lori is talented photographer and jewelry artisan. She photographs found phrases and words she comes across in her travels in the The City.

As a gardener I enjoy her plant and flower photography especially during these cold months as I wait for Spring. I had such fun sketching this allium-like flower with a beautiful flower pod in a lantern shape. I made loose and tight sketches looking for a direction to start carving in. I will explore the shape and line aspects of this plant, very much like the echinacea flower post, I will do two carvings and print one highlighting line and the other in shape.

To make things less confusing I put an X in spots I plan to cut

I call this my fun and discovery stage. I fell absolutely in love with this bulb, onion shape.

I cut the shape out and played with layout and layering ideas.

I kept seeing a curvy stripe happening, so I am going to explore this and cut a block in a stripe design. It's a must, I get goose bumps looking at the curved stripe possibility.

This is much like the stripe inspiration from my bird carving here, and I like how that turned out. I will work out the design in the next few posts. Stay tuned.

This is "Where Art and Beauty Meet Lifestyle"©

Plant Sketches by Velásquez

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

A Table Takes Flight • Final Print inspired by George Nelson Furniture

The modern appearance of Dragonflies,

tail to tail forming a ribbon in flight.

When a piece is finished,
the art is seen and felt.

Sometimes the direction one starts is not necessarily where one ends up.
See original inspiration and sketches in my two previous posts here and here.
My clean modern lines went organic as the carving tools made their own course.
I love handmade pieces and its imperfections.

Thanks for stopping by!

Please do not use anything without permission or without note of the origin on your blog or website.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Relief Print Inspired by George Nelson • Part Two

New relief print artwork inspired by George Nelson furniture.

I played with yesterday's sketches to plan the positive and negative areas of the design.
I transferred my design to a large block, thinking I would carve a large design but I thought it would be best to simplify and keep the design small and to be honest I was impatient. I saw the beauty immediately while carving and I wanted to get the print on paper!

My first test print, black ink on Bristol paper. Beautifully organic. I went from my more modern drawings, sketches and inspiration to a more folkloric, even primitive design feel. I will do more printing today on a larger scale. I see beautiful repeat possibilities. Stop in tomorrow to see what beauty is in store with this design.

Thanks for stopping by!

Please do not use anything without permission or without note of the origin on your blog or website.