Saturday, December 26, 2009

Christmas Print


So, here it is. My Christmas print. It's a monotype with about 8 impressions on Sekishu with Akua Kolor ink and measures approximately 7.5" x 10". I've found that it is really difficult to get a rich looking black with these inks, hence the multiple impressions. The fact that I don't actually have black ink might also have a little to do with that.

This monotype is from a picture that came from a folder labeled 2002. I think, though, that from my daughter's wispy and barely existent hair, it could have been taken a year or two earlier. I'm guessing Alex and Anna were about 6 and 4.

It reminds me of Christmas past, of the magical mornings where they rushed to the tree to open packages of Legos and Playmobil and dinosuars and Bitty Babies. And it reminds me of all the Christmas Eves I stayed up half the night wrapping presents in two sets of wrapping paper, one from Santa and one from Mom and Dad.

This year, all of the presents were wrapped and under the tree by Christmas Eve, and the toys and surprises, a thing of the past, replaced by clothes and cell phones and amusement park passes. Instead of wrapping, I started this print. I'm calling it "Remember Christmas Magic, Alex & Anna 2002."

4 comments:

Bette Norcross Wappner -- said...

You've most definitely captured the Christmas magic. A most magnificent print!

Annie B said...

Beautiful. It looks almost like an etching or mezzotint. Have you ever seen the work of Anita Hunt? She lives up this way and does lots of black & white-ish momoprints.
Merry Christmas and wishing you a most excellent 2010.

starkeyart said...

Thanks Bette and Annie. I checked out Anita Hunt's website and her monotypes are amazing. Thanks for passing her name along. She does her branches in a similar fashion to how I've been doing mine in soft pastels. I've been trying to figure out a way to carve them like that, but no luck so far! Small world... she's from Ohio and went to Antioch, which is just about 25 minutes up the road. Even though the college has shut down, Yellow Springs remains a cool place, with a lot of artist's studios and galleries. Very bohemian.

And Happy New Year!

Nighthawk said...

Oh Andrea this is just wonderful.

It brings back to me the memory of that November.... Our guys going in and out of the garage getting more lights and more stakes...and the children standing in front of the completed tree..."take their picture!"
Better than the photo, there are no "too tall" stakes..and this bears your trademark "atmosphere".

This is perfect. Much like you. M