Paintings

This is the result 

of what happens 

when I work way too long 

on a single woodblock.

untitled

(this is the end of Clay Hill Road~I live near here. )

oil paint

untitled

(Waukegan, Illinois to Fort Atkinson Wisconsin.

The sign says "firewood") 

oil paint

(Long horn and some snow)
8" x 8" oil painting
One end of Oak Park Road,  Mineral Point
8" x 8" oil painting

Gallery Night in Madison Wisconsin

See it in person!

Gallery Night

October 5th

    

at the

ARTIST & CRAFTSMAN

203 west gorham

Madison, Wisconsin 

608-251-2977

Warped woodblock

I should have photographed the block in it's most warped state. 

It would rock on a table as a shallow bowl.

It never was the best piece of wood,

I was only testing out sharpness of my knives,

and I just got carried away.

A couple weeks ago I started my attempt to flatten the block.

It's cherry, about an inch thick. 

Yes, I'll take a photo of the block so you can see.

I should do that.

I put it in a plastic bag, put a towel over it, 

sprayed it with water and sealed the bag, 

and put two thick copper sheets,
 one really heavy big solid rubber block,

and about a 40+ pound anvil on top.

And, crossed my fingers.

Yesterday I upwrapped it.

It was flat enough to print.

Not fun, but I got 8 beautiful prints!

I got some good first prints on Kitakata paper.

This year I discovered what Torinoko did with my blocks.

Luscious, is the only word I can use to describe what the prints are now.

You can see this and more

 at this years Fall Art Tour...I'm #stop25.

Another new woodprint for Fall Art Tour

This piece of wood

and my sharp little knives have 

held me captive for months.

Today, I printed a couple proofs

just to see what I was dealing with.

Yes, you will be able to see it in person at the Fall Art Tour, Stop #25

Remember...you can wear one of my prints!

There is still time.

Kelen Woodblock Print wins Purchase Award

Yes, it's official.
YAY for me and my sharp little knives!

Kelen Sterling LittleSpoon in holder

One of the several 

now hanging in the JaneWilcoxsonStudio, 

 (630) 551-0121

A
spoon of many uses:

tea, sugar, syrup, caviar, chocolate, ice cream,
berries, honey, etc.etc. 

BUT, if used only as a baby spoon, 

since babies do get larger,
eventually needing larger spoons,
this sterling fellow will be able to rest here, 

on the wall
in it's own hanger,
while it waits for the next baby.

Little Spoons

Just finished today.

Going to the gallery tomorrow!

Pencil

Rocket Barrette

It will be secured to a French made barrette mechanism.

It is 4" end to end.

It is hand chased/repoussed aluminum.

It is signed and dated.

It is one of a kind.

It is really wonderful!

I wish I had long hair.

Sterling Baby Spoon

When it is no longer in use,

as eventually babies get larger, 

and need larger spoons,

this sterling fellow will be able to rest on the wall

in it's own hanger,

while it waits for the next baby.

This will be seen in person

and for sale

at the Jane Wilcoxson Gallery.

Proof prints

Finally proofing this one.

Testing out some papers.

A larger Kitakata from Hiromi is giving me the best print.

Paper is a little thinner than the Kitakata of the smaller size that I expected to be printing upon,

but the image kept growing 

and now I"m needing to find another paper 

that works for the kind of cutting I do.

Woodblock in progress

Due to my mental/emotional battle with a saddening world.

I seem to have packed this with a world into which I would escape.

Having simply run out of wood to cut, I guess it's time to get it ready to print.

TICK

In only a few more days, I will have the first batch of TICK teeShirts!

White on Black, Next Level brand shirts. 

I've only ordered what people signed up for, and a few extra.

Reorders will take about ten days.

They're going to be great!

Want one?

 Contact me.

BillBoard!

I got sidetracked...and drew up a necessary billboard.

It's 25 feet long,

and seen from highway 18/151

as you drive west,

on your right/north side of the road,

shortly before the Dodgeville  Exit.

 

AND, 

it's lit up at night!!

It's just one of many that are popping up all over the Driftless Area.

 

Bee Bracelets and a Cat Spoon

I'm starting to show a little of what I do

 in the VOICE of the River Valley.

The Bee Bracelets were in the April Issue.

In the May issue,

the Cat Spoon #1 was shown:

The cat is copper.

It is 4 1/8" long,

1 7/8" wide at the bowl,

and just short of an inch deep.

It measures 1 tablespoon of water.

Most all my chasing is one-of-a-kind.

My work does not translate well as molded castings, 

unless I specifically aim for that result.

I'm also making unique wall mounted holders for these things,

so they can show off, 

and not be lost in a kitchen equipment drawer.

Lone Rock Airport's Piccadilly Lilly Diner VOICE holder

The VOICE of the River Valley will be available at the

Lone Rock Airport's

Piccadilly Lilly Diner.

There is little free horizontal space to put papers and magazines,

so I said, 

"...how about I fashion some kind of wall holder for it?"

A writer friend suggested, 

"something aeronautical might be nice."

This is what I did.
and it's now UP and HANGING holding VOICES!
Go see....and have a bite!

chasing, repousse Honey Bees and one Fish

Bee Bracelet #1

was completed the day I had to send it out to the buyer

so there really isn't a good photo of it.

Bee Bracelet #2
is done.

Both are of Aluminum, 

sealed with a unique laquer brought to my attention by Golden Paints. 

The earlier fish bracelet, also aluminum,

 has been worn nearly daily 

by a coffee shop owner for the past nearly 5 years.  

There is no trace, or sign of sealer failure, 

or any kind of discoloring, or marking on skin. 

It's pretty remarkable stuff.

More metal found HERE.

KELEN woodprint, "Early Man" wins Purchase Award

On December 9th,
I was able to post:
So, I'm happy to announce,
my print, 
“Early Man,” 
has been accepted for inclusion in the Minot University 
Northwest Arts Center’s Americas 2018: Paperworks exhibition. 
 The juror was Linda Whitney.

 

 

 

And then, on February 14th, 2018

I posted:

 

"I'm REALLY HAPPY to announce 

that this print has won their purchase award!! 

I just found out!!!"

New MetalHeads

These are the latest two:

 

The first two metal heads were made crudely and quickly.

I made them out of desperation. 

I needed to find something that worked

as Personal Protectors.

  An experiment.

They would reside close to my ears.
They will listen and hear 

whatever comes off the radio,
out of speakers, out of mouths,
hearing everything within earshot
in all my surroundings.
They will hear it all.
Absorbing all,

 before any of it has a chance to reach MY ears.

They will filter out all bad, 

all lies, 

and all disturbing noise.

 
I suppose that's why they have already disturbed expressions.

Knowing these first two would need to be relieved,

I began to make more.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet.

I make them as needed. 

There will be more.

Driftless Area Landscape paintings

I told them I would paint two for their Spring Green Area Artist Coalition fund raiser.

It's a lottery.

$30.00 gives you a certificate, 

which when picked, allows you to have your pick of ALL the 8"x8" canvases 

created by local area artists. 

I keep reminding myself that offering these is a good thing, for me.  

It does get the babies out and visible, 

since they are seen by no one on my walls, 

except during the Fall Art Tour. 

I don't have a gallery.

SO, this is a good thing.....

I do wish I would be able to make the frames for them....

which might make this giving them away easier. 

I do make good frames.

County Fair Paintings...pigs

I'm just starting to revisit county fairs for paintings.

 It's only a cell phone picture, but you can sort of get the idea. 

Below you can see the frame I'm making for it.

That's "Iowa" in the top frame.

Below is "The Pigs".

I don't have a photo of it in it's frame yet.

I do have prints of "The Pigs"..