Wet 'Water'

I've had an awful time waiting for the brown layer of ink to dry on my 'water' prints. They are now a week overdue. I printed them about 10 days ago but the ink is not drying and I'm getting desperate. I've made a mess of a few prints trying to work with them. Here they are so far:

Both Audrey and the dog are now sleeping so I'd better get busy finishing these prints. I've been blotting them individually using pressure from my hand on the trouble spots. This seems to help so I am hoping to get the prints off in the mail tomorrow.

Puppy Love

Whew! It's been an exhausting week. After searching for a month we finally found a four-legged companion to add to our family. Unable to find a suitable older dog we have adopted a puppy. It's alike having a baby all over again. Fortunately he sleeps through the night and housebreaking seems to coming along nicely.

Blue is an Australian shepherd rescued from the city shelter down in Glen Rose. After picking him up he was so mellow and calm for the drive home. We thought Valium would be a bit strange but Blue works well.

It's been hard to snap photos of big Blue when he's not asleep. He doesn't stay in one place for too long and hasn't learned 'sit' yet. I've been taking the rambunctious little pup for two or three good walks each day and throwing toys down our long hallway in the morning while I drink my coffee. The weather has been so wonderful here that we've had a lot of time in the backyard too. By the end of the day poor Blue looks mighty tired.

In fact, he's sleeping right now. I had better go finish up my now overdue 'water' prints. But more about that in the next post....

Dark blue plate

Warmer weather made printing more enjoyable today. I didn't even need to run the heater in the honeycomb while the sun was up. I spent the day dampening the light blue plate prints and printing the dark blue. Here's the dark blue plate ready to print:

And here is what came of it:

Texas Winters

Well, what a difference a day or two makes here in Texas. Here is another shot of the honeycomb studio - this time without the freezing rain and gloomy skies.

It was warm today with blue skies and bright sun. I spent the whole day outside and reminded myself to look at this photo when it is September and 108 F outside. Our hot summers stink but warm, sunny January days are the trade off.

Christmas photos

Since it's cold and rainy outside (and thus in my studio as well) I spent some time indoors uploading a few pics from Christmas. Here's one of the kids opening presents:

Santa brought Noah his very own R2-D2 and Audrey a 'real' dog. As close to a real dog as Santa was going to commit to anyhow. Audrey also got an interactive Pinkie Pie pony. It didn't take her long to line them all up and coordinate their movements. Such a little control freak - I wonder where she gets that.

Poor R2. Noah rescued him from girlie land eventually.

We went to the DMA the next day and had a great time. We didn't see the King Tut exhibit. I want to go and enjoy it so I don't really want to bring the kids. Well, really just Audrey. Noah would love it .

Here are some pictures from the museum that sum up the kids perfectly:

what I was doing last night...

Glad I got a bit done last night before the rain set in. This is the first plate for my 'water' print. I'm participating in a Four Oceans Press classic elements print exchange that is due on the 15th. My prints are ready to roll but the weather is not cooperating.

Here's my little work table:

I picked up a few extra large baking sheets on clearance and have found them very useful for inking. I can roll out several colors at once in a small space. They do get cold though. A few weeks ago it was so cold inside the honeycomb that the ink was too stiff to roll out on the sheets. I didn't think oil based inks froze.

And here's the light blue plate hanging to dry. The image is not too clear. I was shivering and had trouble keeping the camera still. Today I think I'll go buy another heater.

Baby It's Cold Outside

brrrr.....the detached garage/screened in patio (nick named the honeycomb hideout by the previous owners, a name that has stuck but we shortened to just 'honeycomb') that also serves as my studio is a little cold. and damp. I'll need to find an insulation solution that will keep me warm in winter but let me see through the window screens. It's great being able to work while watching the kids play in the yard but not so great when it is 32 and raining.