Printmaking in California!
September 20, 2012 § 12 Comments
A block of linoleum which Don recently carved and printed for his brother’s wedding. It features a raven and California poppies.
Right now I am on a working vacation down in Boulder Creek, California making a series of linocut prints with a good friend of mine, Don Mackessy. So far this trip has been jam packed with good people, energetic children, huge wolf dogs, tasty family dinners, and nonstop drawing! <<<>>>
California Poppy – Preliminary Drawing, Digital, 2012
Fueled by a constant intake of PG tips black tea we are first drawing and preparing all of the images to be carved into linoleum block plates before we begin printing. Pictured below are a few process photos from this expedition so far. Down here it’s all redwoods and sunshine and feels a bit like E.T. country…
Don gesturing out towards San Francisco’s South Bay from atop Russian Ridge.
Don’s preliminary drawing for a print featuring a silk moth and ceanothus.
View out my plane window of Mt. Hood in the morning.
Eating grapes off the vine. Mmm…
Don making a drawing for the hare and poppy print.
This is an older drawing of Don’s from a large bound sketchbook.
Portrait of Molly Drake, Sumi Ink on Paper, 6 x 6″, 2012
Towering redwood trees in Don and Erica’s backyard.
California Poppy Print – Thumbnail Sketches, Graphite on Paper, 4 x 5″, 2012
The vista atop Russian Ridge looking out towards the Pacific Ocean. What a view!
Next week I’ll post some of our linocut prints– thanks for reading!
Mike Schultz Studio Blog 
Awesome, Mike! Glad you are continuing with printmaking!! Print trade, perhaps?
Hell yes to a print trade, Vladimir! At some future point I’d love to come down and do a collaboration with you as well. I have yet to get back to you about the blog post- but when I get back to Portland I’d like to finalize your interview and get it up. <<>>
i love the hare and the girl. those look lovely
Thank you for the kind comment!
These are really beautiful! The detail is awesome. I can’t wait to see how the prints turn out.
Thank you! I appreciate the comment and also love the direction your artwork is going in… :)
This is a good builder of anticipation. I can virtually hear Don expounding about obscure geometeorologic mystical harmonies. Or maybe how Russian Ridge figures in to the history of the banjo. Anyway, I wish I could hear what he has to say.
Ha! You and me both– I am brimming over with anticipation as to how these prints will turn out. I have been working everyday nonstop and late into the night and then am up with the howling children at dawn. I have about 10 days left here and it is just too short a time for what we’d like to accomplish.
Atop Russian Ridge in that moment (why I took the photo) was because Don being the incredible story teller that he is was talking about the Ohlone shellmounds around the bay.
You can read about it here, but I would rather you were just there to hear him talk about the history.
http://www.sacred-sites.org/preservation/more_shell.html
i did seal cutting for some years. So excited to see these beautiful prints.
Very cool, and thanks for comment. I’m looking forward to seeing how they turn out as well!
Wow the photos and drawings are amazing! You are very talented! Keep it up :)
Thank you for the kind comment! <<>>