Art Goes On
Next deadline on the agenda is preparing a piece for exhibition. I already submitted and paid to be part of the next show in Belmar, and works are to be dropped off in a few days, for a show that opens middle of next week. This is the annual year opening salon style show, where artists are encouraged to present their piece in the reception and talk about it. Theme this year is "blue" and I decided to go with a musical related concept, a print based on a photo I took of blues guitarist John Cephas at the River Blues festival in Philadelphia back in 1990. I have never shown this piece before, which can be a good thing, but it also means I don't have one framed yet. Dealt with that issue today.
Today happens to be the nicest day we've had around here in weeks, which is easy to do when we went through two solid weeks below freezing. But now the super frigid air has retreated for a few days, and last night's threat of snow never quite materialized, so I figured I could handle a run up to the Studio. I don't have a frame and mat designed for this blues piece. I could find a frame, but the mat would have to be custom cut, which requires my mat cutting machine, and I keep that up at the Studio. When I got there I found the parking lot was clear (no sun in winter, so I had a few doubts) and there was no problem. I had brought the print and a suitable sized piece of mat board.
Unfortunately I was lacking a standard x-acto knife, which I would have used to cut the basic mat shape. All of those were with my woodcut tools, all left at home since the last time I had to cut a block. Used to leave that kind of stuff there in my cabinet, but I've needed them for local classes and such and have been keeping them at home.
Still, that window mat needs to be cut and I could still do that. I set up my mat cutting machine, used a pair of scissors to cut a basic rectangle of mat, used the straightedge I keep in my car to measure and mark the window on the back of the mat board, then cut the window to my desired size. It's the one part of the process that I can't do at home.
I put everything away, cleaned up, packed up, and headed home. I can cut a new backing board, tape the print in place, trim the mat to fit in the frame, and put it all together, all at home. That is the plan.
Today happens to be the nicest day we've had around here in weeks, which is easy to do when we went through two solid weeks below freezing. But now the super frigid air has retreated for a few days, and last night's threat of snow never quite materialized, so I figured I could handle a run up to the Studio. I don't have a frame and mat designed for this blues piece. I could find a frame, but the mat would have to be custom cut, which requires my mat cutting machine, and I keep that up at the Studio. When I got there I found the parking lot was clear (no sun in winter, so I had a few doubts) and there was no problem. I had brought the print and a suitable sized piece of mat board.
Unfortunately I was lacking a standard x-acto knife, which I would have used to cut the basic mat shape. All of those were with my woodcut tools, all left at home since the last time I had to cut a block. Used to leave that kind of stuff there in my cabinet, but I've needed them for local classes and such and have been keeping them at home.
Still, that window mat needs to be cut and I could still do that. I set up my mat cutting machine, used a pair of scissors to cut a basic rectangle of mat, used the straightedge I keep in my car to measure and mark the window on the back of the mat board, then cut the window to my desired size. It's the one part of the process that I can't do at home.
I put everything away, cleaned up, packed up, and headed home. I can cut a new backing board, tape the print in place, trim the mat to fit in the frame, and put it all together, all at home. That is the plan.
posted by arrabbiata at 10:51 PM
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