That’s what I’m doing today…new silk screens. I love making this stuff myself…cutting the wood, assembling the frames, stretching screen fabric.. all of it. I worked with a young artist a few days ago,showed him how to teach kids to do simple silk screen prints and how to use common objects to do prints. He is a fine arts grad and a talented young man. We talked about how he hated process in his art, that he wanted to just start putting paint on canvas and didn’t want to do any more prep than to squirt acrylics out and load a brush. I’ve been thinking about that for a few days. My work is all process. I build my own tools, weave and dye, pull my own paper, carve my own blocks. I also teach a lot. I teach mostly process, in fact, can’t remember teaching a class that wasn’t process driven. Cindy and I just finished teaching our first class for Art and Soul Retreats in Hampton VA. We are getting ready to teach at the A & S in Portland in October. We are hoping to be able to do the Vendor’s sale at the show. I have already pulled 130 big sheets of paper to “post dye” and sell. I’ll be vat dying more pulp, and dying and silk screening fabric panels, also for sale. And all process. I would be very happy to just produce fabric and paper for other people to use. I’d probably have a piece of art going all the time, but process is my great love. That’s why I think that I am a craftsman and not a true artist. I also enjoy this kind of philosophical discussion. Anyhow, my screens need painting before I can put the fabric on. Fortunately my faithful companions, Venus, Midian and Whiskey are very patient with my endless puttering.
Screens
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