I had a need for a relatively large easel recently and came up with this item. Cut a couple of 2x3s (2x4s would work just as well) to about 7 foot long. On each 2x3, screw a piece of 3/8 to 1/2 inch board or plywood. This is what the backboard clamps on to. This piece needs to be long enough and wide enough to allow clamping where you need it. It also needs to allow you to clamp the backboard at the right height(s) that you'll need. The backboard in the photo is 2x4 foot 3/8-inch plywood (I actually use this one as a photo background as well). You can use any size you like. Spring clamps are used to fasten the backboard to the legs -- quick and easily adjustable. The whole arrangement is then leaned up against the wall. When I'm done I'll be able to just stick it in the garage without it being in the way. (Hover over image to enlarge).

I took a class the past few weeks on intaglio printing. These pictures are my first attempt. First step was etching in the lines using hard ground and acid bath. (Hover over images to enlarge).

Second step was aquatint on the rocks and a little burnishing. I also scratched in some drypoint in the eye and nose to darken it a little.

Since that print came out a little flat, I added a little more burnishing and drypoint to give the rocks some depth.

You really can't see it in these photos, but I over-wiped this print, leaving it a bit fuzzy in many places. I'll need some more practice before I can do it with some degree of efficiency.

It's been a while...a long while. Interesting how life takes over for a short while and all of a sudden, months have passed. During that time, I have managed to keep up some drawing, but that was about it. The studio became a storage area and I had to turn to other things. One of those things was remodeling some bathrooms which led to cutting my tooling stone in half (I know it's a leap, but trust me...they're related). Since the stone was now cut, I needed a new bench for it. That required moving things around and adding some new organization system. After some time, I think I have it back together again. There's still some cleanup to do and organization to be built, but I can at least walk in it now. I can also use it again. That's a good thing. Here's the west wall. Mostly organization system with magazines on this wall. (Hover over image to enlarge)

The north wall has two good windows, file cabinets, tooling bench (standing or sitting) with bookcase underneath, and the all-purpose table for painting, drawing, sculpting, etc. There's also some organization on this wall, but mostly for leather tools.

The east wall is mostly organization system with assorted tools and a white-board (it's covered up with a plan drawing right now).

Not much on the south wall except for a bookcase, bulletin board (that needs to be cleaned up) and the closet (which has another bit of "cluttered organization" all its own).

What you really don't get to see is all the stuff (paper, mat-board, paper pads, sewing machine, cutting boards, easels, lights/stands, packs, etc) that's packed into the nooks and crannies anywhere I can find the room. In that sense, there's really not a lot of organization at all. But at least it's out of the way and I can find most things a little easier. I wonder how long it will stay that way.

Here's one that's been on a back burner for a while. I've worked on it a little here and a little there. I finally finished it up the other day. I took some weathered cedar fence and fashioned a frame out of it. Since cedar fence doesn't exactly have precision thickness, I fashioned some leather corners for it. The added benefit is that I don't have to be that precise on the miter cuts. When it was done, I even added a used screw-head and nail-head into the existing holes to make it a little more authentic. You likely won't find anything like it in a museum, but it is a good rustic-looking frame that doesn't cost a gallon of gas. (Hover over image to enlarge)

I finally got to practice some drawing with a male model the other day. We don't get them too often. It's good to go through that change every once in a while. I have a tendency to get too comfortable with a particular body type and then I struggle when the body type changes. (Hover over image to enlarge)

I've heard conflicting positions regarding whether business cards are beneficial for artists. One argument is that a good business card will be remembered and kept for future use - commissions in particular. An opposing argument is that it discourages impulse buys because the potential buyer will pick up a card, instead, with the intention of buying something at a later date (but never does). One day I may be able to answer that question from my own experience. For now, I decided to use a card. I've always appreciated business cards that are representative of the artist's work. It's a quick visual reminder of what I was looking at, and who's I was really interested in purchasing. To that end, I decided my first business card would highlight one of my pieces and would be carved in leather. (Hover over image to enlarge).

It's been a busy week. I haven't done much in the way of new pieces. I did, on the other hand, get to put in some drawing yesterday. (Hover over image to enlarge)

Summer is a bad time for me to try and get anything done in the studio. Fortunately, I can still do some drawing in more places than the studio. Here's a thought I'm exploring for a rather large piece. It still looks a bit stiff to me, so maybe if I draw it a few more times it will look a bit more natural. That's what makes drawing so nice....paper's cheap. (Hover over image to enlarge).

This little endeavor now appears to be approaching ridiculous. After attaching all the leaves to the branch, it would appear that I need twice as many leaves for a single branch. I think I'll be working on this piece between other pieces so I don't get too discouraged from lack of progress. I'm not giving up...just changing the pace. (Hover over thumbnail to see a larger photo)

There was too much life taking over this week, so I didn't accomplish much. I believe I have all the leaves finished for the branch I've been working on. It's surprising how much time is involved in cleaning them up. With luck, I'll actually mount them on a branch this week! (Hover over image to enlarge)