Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Printing with food, and THAT magnolia drawing

Remember the magnolia drawing? It never went anywhere, so now it's all cut up into pieces and being used for a good cause.

I'm participating in the Portland Art Center's December Fundraiser in which some 300 2'x2' panels were distributed to artists to complete and return to the Center for a December show & sale. I started working on my panel on Monday. Here it is -- a basic under-painting in acrylic in magenta, orange and raw siena. And while that's still wet, I drew into it with compressed charcoal and wiped it with my hands (the white spots are the gesso underneath showing through). I just picked up the magnolia seed pod at random, it was hanging around in my studio in a clear vase. I looked up while I was looking around for something to draw, and there it was.

I just drew until the paint dried, which didn't take very long.



Then I realized that I had that magnolia drawing sitting around. So here it is, cut up and collaged onto the board.



Here's a detail of the bottom. I always like these close-up shots of flowers, they can be so striking. But on the other hand, I also lose interest in them pretty quickly, there's just not a whole lot there for me to keep coming back.



Since the drawing is pastel, and these pieces will not be under glass, the pastel parts need to be laminated, which is what I'm doing now. So pictures of that tomorrow.

The Print With Your Food class last night was a lot of fun, despite that we only had 2 people. And actually, I'm not sure that there was room for more, once we spread out all the food stuff on the table. So here's 'the spread' -- I brought all the successful results, puff pastry, apple slices, lunch meats, milano cookies, fig newtons, mini pancakes, and the students brought crepes and tortillas. To print, I brought the nutella, peanut butter, sour cream, hershey's syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar.

(Four of the printed items are under the Witness Protection Program, so they have been blurred in this photograph.)



Another shot of the table. Two still under the WPP. No, clicking on the photograph won't get you a clearer picture.

9 comments:

gl. said...

you can unblur the photos now: the birthday surprise has been unveiled. it was my first totally branded birthday with that logo on the brunch crepes, the cards, the presents & the cake!

you should totally teach this class again, but connect it with the western culinary institute or another food-teaching class/group. those are the people who would care about that level of food control & presentation!

fingerstothebone said...

gl -- sounds like the b-day was a success?! What did you do with the cake?

Thanks for the Culinary Institute suggestion, I'll have to check that out. Although they might be much pickier about the non-food materials that are coming into contact with the food, like the screens themselves, the cardboards (and what they're laminated with), and any protection I'm putting on the cardboards.

gl. said...

the birthday -was- a success! i cheated on the cake: i didn't print on it, just got saint cupcake to pipe 6^2 onto it. :)

oh, that's true. classes w/ food safety concerns may -not- be the best option for goccos. hmmm.

gl. said...

oh, here's the birthday cake picture:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_P8h_DJfPITY/Ry0EhE9kIKI/AAAAAAAAAHE/cYNSru2qIOw/s1600-h/6square.jpg

it's definitely not palatino. but we ate the puff pastries today w/ lemon curd & homemade raspberry jam. yum!

fingerstothebone said...

That's a great (!) cake picture. Looks like it's all on fire!

gl. said...

yeah, i think it looks neon! there's a debate about which point we transition to numbered candles: this many candles on a cake definitely created an updraft! it was a little scary. :)

Bridget said...

fingers: I heard all about the amazing food gocco printing class from gl, and I think that this would actually make a great party class! Hmmm . . .perhaps I can hire you to do a birthday class for me with some of my foodie friends!

gl: "totally branded birthday?" I love that concept . . . Darren will be 33 next year . . .wonder how I can brand that? lots of time to think about it!

fingerstothebone said...

Bridget -- a party food printing class...lets talk!

gl. said...

ooooo, a palindrome, bridget! a mirror image! lots of possibilities. :)