Inking up Linocut Plate

I'm finally inking up my new linocut! For me the most magical moment of printmaking is when the image emerges for the first time in black. I pulled my first proof and I'm content with it, but as expected the plate needs some more work and cleaning up. I'll post an image of the print once it is finished...a bit more patience please!

New Winnipeg Linocut

It's been a while since I've posted new work. Since M. turned 8 months, I've been able to find some time and energy in the mornings to be in the studio again. I'm still learning to navigate being a mom and an artist. While I feel very busy working again, it also feels great to have some creative time and headspace. I am really grateful to have my studio at home, so I'm available if M. needs me and I don't have much stress with Covid-19 exposure or restrictions. I also absolutely love the heating table in my studio to carve linoleum on, because it softens it just right to make carving easier. 

I've started a new linocut in my Winnipeg series. Some of my favourite parts of city are right at its centre where the Red River and the Assiniboine River fork, the extensive walkways in the area and the surrounding landmarks and neighbourhoods that give this city so much of its character. While I've depicted parts of downtown and Saint Boniface in previous prints, I've been meaning to make work that includes the relatively new Museum of Human rights and the Upper Fort Garry Park. Since moving back to Winnipeg, living on the east side of the Red River has slightly changed my vantage point and I frequent different routes traveling through the city than I used to. I can't wait to proof this plate!

Fields of Light and Stone - Book Cover

Fields of Light and Stone, a poetry collection by Winnipeg writer Angeline Janel Schellenberg, published by the University of Alberta Press, has just been released. The book cover is a detail of a print of mine (Last Embrace). While bookstores are closed and the book launch has been postponed, you can order this book online from McNally Robinson: https://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/9781772125115/a-schellenberg/fields-of-light-stone?blnBKM=1

11th Triennale Mondiale de l'Estampe

I had a few studio days again for the first time in three months to make five small prints (15cmx15cm) for the 11th Triennale Mondiale de l'Estampe in Chamalières in France. I've been reusing some of the copper plates from my plate library to layer them to make some of my soy prints on a smaller scale. Soy III also includes one layer of a laser cut woodcut and Soy V has a chine-collé layer of a digital satellite print.
It sure is a new experience being in the studio with a baby around, but I'm glad it works (sort of).

SGCI Conference Portfolio Print

I just finished a conference portfolio print for SGCI (Southern Graphics Council International) in Puerto Rico next year. I was paired with scientist Brian Lapointe who has researched the increase in algae bloom and Sargassum around Florida and the Caribbean due to increased nutrient run off from over-fertilization on the land (from the Amazon and Mississippi basins) and from sewage. I've brought my own interest in the consequences of industrial agriculture to the table to create a five layer etching and digital print titled 'Eutrophication'. The Sargassum belt reaches an astonishing length of over 8,000km by now. An excess of Sargassum depletes the oxygen in marine habitats killing other marine species and damaging reefs. The land and the sea are connected. (Sargassum photo by Brian Lapointe).

Mennonites and Anthropology Conference

I did a presentation at a conference at the University of Winnipeg about my work: disPOSSESSION - exploring Mennonite and Indigenous Land Usage in Paraguay through art. A lot of interesting conversations resulted from it. And as you can see, one of my images was used for the poster.

Here are a few presentation photos along with a picture of the beautiful Wesley Hall, University of Winnipeg, where the conference took place.

Student Response to My Work

Here is a student's reflection about my work at Weber State University that was shared with me. I was really touched reading this response! Thank you, Matt. (Click on image to enlarge text).