Deborah Velásquez: plants

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.

Plant Sketches by Velásquez

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