Thermofax Screen Printing - Vision Quest

I've done the final screen printing of petroglyphs from Legend Rock.

This piece I am calling "Vision Quest". I used color and levels to convey the three different types of petroglyphs - "Sky People", "Ground People". and "Water People".

Screen Printed Petroglyphs

This is a really good process for me when I have a lot of other things going on in my life.
I can do a layer, then it has to dry before I can do anything more.
My routine is to go to my studio first thing in the morning to do a single step. The next morning, I will be able to do the next step. I have a space where I can keep it set up all the time. Fabric needs to dry in horizontal position.

Here is the full view at this point. This piece is 36 x 48". The size I tend to use in the winter when I am using my basement wet studio. I can work larger in the summer when I can set up in the unheated workshop, but my studio printing work surface is 36 x 48"

I have at least one more layer to screen print. It soothes my soul, having something creative to do every day. It also gives me something (the next step) to contemplate until I am able to get back into the studio.

Vision Quest Block Printing

I really liked the painted background of this piece (shown in my previous post), but my plan was to block print the entire background. I've had success with this approach in previous work, so I just jumped in and printed.

Block printing is a very joyful activity for me. Very intuitive and very uplifting.

Well, it was fun to do, but did I ruin it? I sometimes think so after I am done. Somehow it always works out though. I have more layers to add. Stay tuned.

Vision Quest First Layer

My time at Legend Rock and my research into the Dinwoody tradition of petroglyphs has inspired me to continue my series of art pieces including screen printed petroglyphs.

The Dinwoody petroglyphs represent three different peoples - Sky People, Ground People, and Water People. I painted my background to show all three regions. Then I fused on a sun made of hand dyed silk organza and a couple of hand dyed strips. I added my first layer of block printing with a handcut printing block.

In more recent times, Shoshone warriors have traveled to petroglyph areas on a vision quest. Dinwoody Petroglyphs are almost always located near water - facing water. The vision seeker would bathe in the water as part of their quest.

I have felt somewhat stagnant in my creativity and I am hoping this piece will lead me to a more creative exploration. So far, so good.

Dinwoody Petroglyphs at Legend Rock

The "Dinwoody" tradition petroglyphs are always pecked. Sometimes the entire shape is pecked, but other times a shape may be filled with interior lines or specks, as in this image.

Dinwoody petroglyphs are often humanlike figures with headdresses and an unusual amount of fingers, toes or limbs. Notice the interior lines in the torso of the figure below - a distinctive characteristic of Dinwoody type petroglyphs.

A final shot of the landscape before we had to get down the road. The short days of November meant we had to drive in the dark most of the way home.

Dinwoody Petroglyphs

Most of the petroglyphs at Legend Rock are classified as "Dinwoody" tradition petroglyphs. Dinwood petroglyphs are always pecked. The figures are often "humanlike", distinguished by an unusual amount of fingers or toes, upside down figures, may have a pattern of interior lines in the torso, and /or have unusual headdresses.

Joe enjoyed the "alien" appearance of some of the rock art we saw here.

Legend Rock State Petroglyph Site

Many of the petroglyphs at Legend Rock are in the Dinwoody tradition, with humanlike figures having unusual headdresses, and exaggerated body parts.

This unsuspecting cliff is the home for all the amazing rock art I've featured the past couple of weeks.

Cliff Swallows at Legend Rock

Looking up at the rocks, we found ourselves intrigued by the nests of the cliff swallows. Such amazing builders!
And such intriguing communities they have created!

Very fun!

Legend Rock - Animal Petroglyphs

Legend Rock has some of the most varied rock art we have seen (not that we have seen it all, by any means). Rock art is a passion of mine, and I like to see it whenever I can, so I track it down when we travel.

I love the wide range of animal life depicted at Legend Rock. The turtle, above is wonderful.

I think the animal above looks a bit like a moose. Below, I think it looks like a person dragging a bundle behind.

How about this one? I think it looks a bit weasel - like.

Legend Rock Petroglyphs

The rock art here is very low to the ground - within easy reach. Someone has defaced this wonderful elk image with a lot of scratches to the right.

This one is rather faint, but I like the image - which looks like a canine to me.

Joe and I pondered the possible reason for this particular location for all this rock art. One reason may have been this creek, which flows nearby. Perhaps in ancient times, it was much larger. Nevertheless, the cliffs do provide some shelter, and water was flowing even this late in the year (November).

We enjoyed walking along the creek, as well.

Legend Rock - More Petroglyphs

There are over 300 individual petroglyphs at Legend Rock.

The imagery is varied, and experts believe they range in age from 11,000 to 250 years ago.

Some of these will be appearing in my work in the future, I expect.

Legend Rock State Historic Site

Legend Rock Historic Site has been on my wish list for a while. Last time I visited, there was a downpour and the hillside turned into a mudslide and I had to climb down before I was able to view all the rock art.

We've had some nice weather in November, so Joe and I took a day off and drove down to Thermopolis, Wyoming. We stopped at the State Hot Springs, where we soaked in the steaming mineral pool. On our way out, we checked out a gate key for the Legend Rock Historic Site.

The day was partly sunny, but windy.

We arrived late enough in the day for the light to be just perfect for photographing the ancient rock art in this area.

I'll be posting my images over the next several days. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Gloria!

I was honored to be invited by my sister and brother in law to create a commemorative T-shirt for the Jorge's mother, who is celebrating her 70th birthday on November 15.

The family is all gathering for a surprise party in Florida.

I dyed 10 cotton Tshirts using a Low Water Immersion technique with turquoise and cobalt MX dyes.

I screen printed the text - using a Thermofax screen created in Photoshop Elements 7, and the photo was added using TransferMagic.com's Inkejet Transfer to Dark product. This heat transfer paper printed beautifully in my Epson printer, then I trimmed around each photo and peeled away the backing paper. It was then applied with my home iron on the cotton setting - just 60 seconds with a parchment paper protection sheet.

Happy Birthday, Gloria!

Elizabeth's Addition

I have not been getting much accomplished in the studio these days. Every chance we get (essentially, whenever Elizabeth is not scheduled to work) - we do something on the addition.
We have made good progress since starting this project in early September.

The walls and roof are in place. We have taken advantage of a week of good weather to attach the plank siding to the north side, where we will build access stairs along the wall, leading down from the deck.

It took three levels of rented scaffolding to reach the uppermost level. Yikes. I did not climb to the top of the scaffolding. My job was cutting each piece using the circular saw and passing it up so they could attach it. I did have to climb the extension ladder to get up to hand it off.

In the far left, you can see Elizabeth coming down from the scaffolding.
I am really glad this high altitude stuff is done for the most part. Of course, they will have to get up there to paint later on, but I do not expect to be involved with the painting. Joe and I are just helping her get it built.