The Sign of the Two Ravens

Proof of life, again! It’s been a busying summer and now just two weekends to go before the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour. Stop by the shop and see what I have been working since last year, including my new Lino print, “Low-Maintenance Dahlias” on the left.

THAT WHICH WAS LOST, shall be found. I discovered this print while cleaning out my flat files. I thought it had been lost in a house move 25 years ago! But here it, a little gift from Heaven! It will be packaged and ready for sale for the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour this September.

PROOF OF LIFE! Double uffda. I have been working on three prints and finally there are starting to come together. Differing Views of Wonder is waiting for me to finish printing the certificates of authenticity. Uhtceare & Celtic Kitty are waiting on the paper to arrive in the next week to work on pulling proofs and color schemes. I am on the volunteer committee for the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour and am busy behind the scenes for that fun event coming in 6 months!

Uffda. I am in deep. Hoping to have this wee slee guy, “The Jack of Fox Gloves,” ready for the Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour happening at the end of the month but it true me-fashion, I am second guessing myself and have different paper on order and am trying to nail down the proper color for a fox’s nose, How is scarlet so orange? Hopefully, when it arrives, vermillion will do the trick for this trickster!

We have had so much rain this month no wonder I feel like I am treading water. I laid in 50 sheets of Lokta paper for my print but it takes about 15 minutes per sheet to cut with a straight edge & utility knife. I found this ginourmus Dahle rotary trimmer on sale and decided to go for it. I hoping my cutting time can drop down to five minutes a sheet. Of course, cutting the paper is step one. The real deal is the perfect proof.

Uffda, baby. I have been totally sucked into this ribbon & stars print. And sadly, though I swore I never, would, I have coming crawling back to print on lokta baby. I found some “ultrablue” lokta paper made by Lama Li that is to die for!

March madness for me is endless borderwork for two large linocuts I am planning. And a brief foray into another card featuring chickadees. I think I like cards because the process is more finite. I am a volunteer for the 2024 Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour so I am spending my time organizing folders in a Google drive. The tour is the last weekend of September, so mark that on your calendar & come visit the shop.

I turned a practice frog-leg into an inspirational card! The metallic ink rocks & they are even available in rainbow. Since all my type looks back to the 15th century I had to be a bit creative for the hashtag.

The shop is back together after a January redo & now like Brother Groundhog I am settling down for six weeks to work on drawings for the new prints I have planned.

Two of my prints will be on display at the Underway! show at Duluth’s Nordic Center through the end of February.

And frog fans, my new print A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go is now for sale. Think spring! Buy a frog!

Snow did not find the North Shore till January, but still found my type case out in the cold. But like a wise bear, I am going to ground (well, at least going to basement) for this dark & cold month and will spend the time rearranging my shop for the growth it has experienced over the last four years. Thanks to everyone who has shown their support & purchased a print!

The frogs are sleeping deep in the Township mud but they have been on my mind as they rest their voices for their glorious spring chorus. I am working on a frog print that was intended to be an homage to early wildlife illustration but through my current obsession with hand-coloring prints with metallic ink, my froggie is turning into a glam rocker.

Thank you to everyone who has been purchasing “Persephone’s Poem” this fall. I have one left in the shop for sale, and there are still a few left at the Minnesota Center for Books Arts. When they are gone the edition is closed.

And, at long last, I have prices posted for my prints and am ready for online sales. But, due to the fact I still spend 40 hours a week in my other work world, I don’t have shipping costs figured out. If you would like to purchase a print contact me at the signofthetworavens@gmail.com and I will get hoppin’ on it for you.