Wednesday Miscellany!

• If you make a living from or otherwise rely on sex work, hemp, tobacco, firearms, or online sales of birth control, you need to know about Operation Choke Point. And yes, this is the Obama Administration's work.


• Israel is preparing for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.


• It's Iraq and Iran versus ISIS ... yesterday 107 died including an Iranian soldier.


• Syrian rebel groups are defecting to join ISIS while other groups blackmail the US for weapons and money.


• Bonddad predicts the U3 unemployment rate will go below 6% before the end of the year. He doesn't say anything about the U6 rate, which is bound to still be completely awful at over 10%.

My new zodiac series and some upcoming shows (by @livraineysmith)

(In case you're wondering what SC is up to. --maxomai)

Originally posted by xylograph_rss at My new zodiac series and some upcoming shows.

http://xylographilia.com/2014/07/10/2633/

http://xylographilia.com/2014/07/10/2633/

Recently I’ve taken a break from shows to create new work. If you follow me on Facebook, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve been working on a new print series depicting the twelve signs of the zodiac. After concentrating primarily on larger projects for most of this year, I was inspired to tackle something smaller-scale. The completed series will be offered as an open edition and will debut at the Esoteric Book Conference in September alongside other new works.

My creative process begins with research. After gathering historical references that serve the image I have in mind, I sketch out a design and then transfer it to a basswood block with red carbon paper. For this series my references included a 15th-century codex about mining and farming (as in the case of Pisces above) as well as art from the High Middle Ages. Most of the carving has been done with 1mm and 1.5mm U-gouges (pictured). Once the design has been carved out, each new block will be proofed. After proofing, I’ll go in and do some final touch-ups before printing the editions. Every block in this series will measure no more than four inches, and the completed prints will also be of modest size. At this stage, Capricorn, Pisces, Scorpio, and Cancer are complete, and Taurus is coming up next.

These prints will be offered individually and as part of a set. Stay tuned for further updates as the project evolves, and remember to follow me on Facebook for a more detailed look at the carving process.

P.S. My next show will take place at Gargoyles Statuary in Seattle, Washington and will include works from the upcoming Starry Wisdom Library Anthology.