GERRY HAT TRICKS

I overheard some people, who seemed to be in my generation, talking the other day and I heard one of them talking about where they were going for an appointment. They said they were going to "Gerry hat tricks". Now that's a new one on me. At first I thought it was maybe the name of a doctor: Gerry Hattricks. Then I thought maybe they were bored and were going to some place called Gerry's to play a game called hat tricks. Maybe I should look into this to see if I can improve my aging carcass with some hat-trick games. Try this: Take the three words, gerry, hat and tricks, and put them together as one word: "gerryhattricks" and say it outloud. What did you hear?

PLURAL VERSION OF A WORD

    Words of single items and words for more than one of those items are often not the same words. For instance a single page in a book is a page but more than one page are pages (just one simple example). 

    I was thinking about the word goose and how the sound of that word, for the plural, was changed more than the addition of an s at the end. If the plural of goose is geese, why isn’t the plural of moose “meese”? The word goose existed in the Anglo-Saxon language for centuries and had, back then, been given the plural version. But the word moose was only in the English language in the 1600s because the Anglo-Saxons didn’t know it existed until then. The word moose was from the Abenaki language in North America. 

     This got me thinking of a way to bring this into a wood engraving and the result was to bring two geese and two moose together withe same spelling rule.  I'm engraving a block which will be printed and titled "TWO GEESE RIDING TWO MEESE"?    

                                                  

     I have engraved this block to a a point where I have printed the first proof and when it was dry I scanned it. Here's a copy. 

As I've mentioned in previous pages of the blog, my studio work has slowed dramatically. I have added years to my carcass and that has come at a price. (edition of 30 print size: 7 X 5 in.) $100.00 Click on the image to get a larger view

                                                 

                                                                     

ODDBALLS

Another series that was printed as a book (both limited edition by me and by Porcupines Quill) was ODDBALLS. If you click on this link then click on "Preview This Book", you can then scroll down to "Table of Contents and clidk on a name of an ODDBALL to see the wood engraving. The sequence of texts/titles and images in this link may be off.

"The Mad Trapper" wood engraving

ALTERNATIVE TO THE WEBSITE

I thought I'd put some links on my Blog that would bring up some of my work that was on my website that was shut down by TELUS. I'll start with the Porcupines Quill. The publisher of my "See What I'm Saying?" book: Click on "See What I'm Saying?" title then on that opening page click on "preview this book". When you scroll down you will see a list of the titles of the work in that series. Each is linked to an image. I know,it's complicated, but it's the best I could do.

"Fly Fiahing" wood engraving

TIMES THEY ARE A'CHANGIN' BIG TIME

I suppose this title links to my entries a few times back, but this one today has nothing to do with the pandemic. Two weeks ago I tripped and fell and had to be taken to the hospital. They found my hip had to be repaired. Well the operation was a week and 6 days ago and yesterday I was discharged. I thought it was too soon because I was having so much trouble moving around. I'm facing the changing times of moving around the house (instead of laying in a hospital bed). Moving on the main floor only (can't go down the basement) so, I'll need to arrange some help. Not easy to get to the studio either.

BIG OF THREE SISTERS

My friend Dave invited me to join him on a road trip from Red Deer to the Rockies, around Canmore, Alberta. The destination was an area where there are three peaks next to each other. They are called The Three Sisters. The largest peak on one end is called the Big Sister. Next to that is Middle Sister, then Little Sister. I was captivated by them and when we returned from our trip I began to make sketches from the photos I took and check on the internet for some other views. Big of Three Sisters is the result.

BIG OF THREE SISTERS @ wood engraving (ed.25) image 7 x 5 in. $100.00 (you can click on it to enlarge)

ROOTS TO LIMBS TO LOGS

Last Sunday I got my act together, after I had finished making changes on the block, and inked up the press and got it going. By mid-afternoon I had an edition of 25 of "Roots To Limbs To Logs". It's from a 5 X 7 inch block and a relatively (for me) small edition. I just don't have the stamina or energy for more, as more and more of the years pile up. Not to mention: a larger edition would require being hung on the wires near the ceiting on hooks to dry. It means I would have to climb a ladder to hang each one. My balance and stability in that position is now very risky.

ROOTS TO LIMBS TO LOGS © wood engraving (ed.25) image: 7 x 5 in. $100.00 (You can click on it to enlarge)

ROOTS TO LIMBS TO LOGS

Back in late January or early February I was forcing myself to get into the studio and get my mind off my aching back and my gloom-and-doom thoughts. I got the sketchbook out and tried to focus on it. I started pushing my pen around the paper and letting one line lead me to another without any idea or image in mind. Before long I began to see that the lines were following a linking pattern similar to the growth of roots and I picked that up and followed it. As I was integrating roots and limbs into what I already had on the paper, I started to think beyond a tree. I saw a link between the life of a tree and the life of all living things. Roots to limbs to logs.

A WOOD ENGRAVING IN CHANGIN' TIMES

After the struggle to get things moving in the studio again, it's here at last. The new Alien of Planet Earth, Wolf Spider.

WOLF SPIDER © wood engraving (ed.18) image: 5 x 7 in. $100.00 (You can click on the image to enlarger it)

TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN'

Times are changing, as Bob Dylan said in the lyrics of his song. The restrictions brought on due to the COVID pandemic have certainly reinforced that. My work in the studio has slowed to a crawl and my ambition and motivation have slipped nearly out of sight. I'd like to share with you how it has been for me. I have been finding moments, here and there, to do some sketches of "Aliens of Planet Earth". Eventually I decided to try a wolf spider, a unique species with excellent eyesight. The reason for the good eyesight is that they have eight eyes! So the series of sketches began, until I arrived at one I wanted to engrave. I drew it on a block and began to engrave. When I reached a point where I thought a proof was needed I printed one. I knew that, with my inacivity and lack of regular axercise, I didn't have the ability clean the press without wearing me out. So I inked the block with a hand roller, then printed it on the press. I was able to get a fair idea of what it would look like and scanned the proof when it was dry so I could use the computer prints to try out different alternatives by drawing on them. I finally reached a decision to print an edition. I started this morning and finished this afternoon. I knew that printing an edition the size I usually print was a bit over my ability to handle now and press clean-up would be a task that would take a lot out of me. So I ran a small edition. My most recent edition, Poodle Moth, was an edition of 33. Wolf Spider is an edition of 18. When the prints are dry I'll scan one and share it with you here.