The Sign of the Two Ravens

wowster. I have been thinking about our the furry saint since last July and working on the print since last November. And now he is done, my talk on St.Guinefort is done, and I am thinking about smelt & faeries. Yeah, you heard me, smelt & faeries. Let’s see where this takes me next!

Uffda – I have been caught up in my most ambitious print, along with a talk I have to give about it on April 10th on Guinefort, the holy greyhound, or in my telling, a split-face red merle Aussie, literally half angel & half devil! Check out my Instagram page to see my progress.

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.