Commodore Theater Solarplate

This is my fourth theater solarplate etching. I’ve been working on a series of them that are local for me. It’s sad that they aren’t having their usual fun audiences at this time. I do fear for their livelihood but I try to remain positive that good times will return. It’s definitely a crazy time!

The Commodore Theatre, located in Portsmouth, Virginia, is a restored 1945 Art Deco style motion picture theatre with fine dining available while viewing films. There’s some nice artwork throughout!

Flamingos in the Garden

A flamingo migration stop at the botanical garden last week.😀 So pink, of course!

Attucks Theater

Last year, after completing my Wells Theater etching, I decided to continue drawing important local theaters to make a series. The next on my list was the Attucks Theater. It was designed by African-American architect Harvey Johnson and showcased a host of legendary performers like Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington and Mamie Smith. It is named in honor of Crispus Attucks, an African-American and the first American patriot to lose his life in the 1770 Boston Massacre. It was a very busy theater until 1953. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and after being restored years later, reopened in 2004.

I’ve had the pleasure to learn a lot of interesting facts about our local theaters!

This is a solar plate etching done from a drawing on glass. 

Goldfinch Painting

I love goldfinch. I see them quite often in my neighborhood but it does seem like there are not as many as before. I sure hope that’s not true😟 This is another of my gouache paintings which is like watercolor but more opaque. When I started making artwork, watercolor and pencil drawing were my favorites but then I got distracted by printmaking! Easy to be distracted.

Nature Gelli Prints

This week I made a few prints for a Print Day in May 2020 event. I thought that Gelli prints would be  a fun distraction for a day. Usually I am so concerned with details but this time I just let it be more spontaneous. It felt good! Here are a few of them.
Real gelatin can be used to make a plate to paint on but one can also buy something called a Gelli plate which has the same consistency as gelatin and lasts much longer. So that’s what I used.

Strawberry Adventure

Nowadays an outing to pick strawberries is a great adventure! I also enjoyed going to get a flat tire fixed a couple of weeks ago. Can you imagine that? It was so strange to see people picking strawberries in masks. I did remove my mask for a short time because the air was so wonderful, cool and fresh. Ah...  There were only a few people about.

I think I understand social distancing now!

Thinking of paintings

More to come :-)

Have a good day