Posts tagged san francisco
New Linoleum Block Print - Port of Oakland & Deconstruction of the Bay Bridge

A couple times a week, I'll spot the 77-year old, double-decked eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in the distance. A new, seismically safer span has been constructed and they're currently demolishing the old section.

The Bay Bridge being demolished

I have a soft spot for the aesthetics of the older one and I think it's fascinating to watch how they orchestrate the take down of such a huge bridge. Before it's all gone, I wanted to make a print. It's a project I've been excited about for a while but it took a lot of sketching and planning for it to come to fruition. This is how the linocut print turned out and it's available in my Etsy store.

Linocut print - "Deconstruction" - The Bay Bridge & Port of Oakland

Linoleum block print - close-up of "Deconstruction" - The Bay Bridge & Port of Oakland

The Process of Designing, Carving and Printing a Large Linocut for the SFCB

I always look forward to the San Francisco Center for the Book's annual Roadworks Steamroller Printing Festival and I'm excited about being a vendor again at this year's event on September 28, 2014. Last year, I was fortunate enough to have been invited to be a featured artist for their 10th Roadworks Festival. My role was to carve a huge 3-foot square linoleum block that was printed using an awesome old steamroller.

Though it was a challenging project for me, I really enjoyed it and this is how I created my print. The design process started with some small studies - experimenting with subject matter and patterns. I came up with an idea of a cross-section of San Francisco Bay, from the Ferry Building all the way down to the Transbay Tube. Sometimes, when I'm crossing the Bay and not taking in the beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge, I think about what is lurking under the water's surface. I then sketched out my preliminary design on a big sheet of paper to help work out some compositional issues. I wasn't used to working in such a large scale - so much space to fill!

I then transferred my image to the lino block and started carving the design. Here are some work in progress shots of my 3-foot linoleum print during the carving stage.

Near the end of the project, I started taking trial proofs of the big print to see what changes I still wanted to make. It was a tiring process because of the block's size and the fact I was printing it by hand - thank goodness for steamrollers! My forearms were cashed but it was a real thrill to finally see the image near completion.

My finished block was printed by the hardworking Roadworks crew on September 29, 2013. It was gratifying to see my finished print and to play a small role in the annual printmaking extravaganza. Big thanks to the staff and volunteers at the San Francisco Center for the Book for an awesome day!

My carved linoleum block.

The crew inking it up.

Carefully laying the paper on the inked block.

Covering it with blankets.

Driving over it with a beautiful old steamroller.

Carefully peeling back the paper.

The finished linocut print featuring San Francisco Bay from the city skyline down to BART's underwater Transbay Tube. Oh, and a giant octopus with a submarine in its tentacles...

Mt. Tamalpais Linocut Print

I feel lucky to be able to see Mt. Tam everyday, including at the end of the day as the sun sets over the Pacific. I love seeing it from different angles and in changing weather conditions as you travel through the East Bay, Marin County and San Francisco.

Here's a new five-color linocut print - the second in a series (the first Mt. Tam print). This limited edition block print is made partially by the reduction method where the same linoleum block is used to print multiple colors in the print. After a color is printed on the paper using my etching press, more of the block is carved away for the next color. The print can never be replicated because the block has been carved away during the creation process. Two blocks were used for this print.

Art Prints Now Available at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

The Met, Tate, and Louvre - these are a few places an artist might dream of having their work. Well - forget those - my dream has come true. A selection of my prints are now available at San Francisco International Airport! It'

s perfect, I have a twisted obsession with airports. This opportunity is all thanks to the fine folks of Collector who have opened a pop-up shop in the newly renovated portion of Terminal 3. Here's a map of the shop's location at SFO.

Collector - Terminal 3 at San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco Bay - "Golden Gate Net" - Linocut Print

Back in the spring, I read that during WWII a seven-mile anti-submarine net was laid in the water across the Golden Gate in San Francisco Bay. This strange little piece of local history stuck with me. While the Bay's famous sites, like the Golden Gate Bridge (finished in 1937), Alcatraz and Angel Island, dominate the view, I'm also fascinated by what is lurking under the water's surface. With all that in mind, I made this limited-edition linocut print titled, "Golden Gate Net," using the reduction method.

"Golden Gate Net" Linocut Print