Cricketts Inky Art Blot

I got myself out of a rut that was setting in by painting a Monty Pythonesque fish zeppelin. It's coming along nicely and is probably my favorite painting of this series of work so far. I posted a fish snippet onto Milliande to get a little feedback, so it will be interesting to see what the folks there think. I have not finished, but I am certainly done for the night :-) Whilst working on this, I have had a second painting on the go to keep me busy while the paint is drying. Location: Twin Lakes Studio

I can't believe it is May already, how fast the year is going. Here is my first finished print of Lady Penelope flying over Paris. I have used a number of etching techniques; Aquatint, spit-bite and drypoint. I am now pleased with the contrast, which had been difficult to achieve as I had some problems with the aquatint. The print is called "III. Two First-Class Tickets To Paris". It is 7" x 8" and refers to chapter 3 in "Around The World In Eighty Days" by Jules Verne, where the characters travel through Paris. In the book, the journey is actually by train, in the film it was balloon. I used an airship balloon to satisfy my Steampunk heart. My very first flight anywhere was to Paris, so I absolutely felt the need to make it air travel.

I like this as one of Lady Penelope Pinkerton-Smythe's suitcases. I took the photo on vacation, but I am not sure which final effect to work with.

I have said it before and I will say it again, that little Revolver map is awesome! Seeing all the little flags of visitors from all over the world is beyond cool, it is inspiring to me. As I work on the collection of prints involving Lady Penelope Pinkerton-Smythe, I think about all the places she may have visited. The little flags on the blog map have me daydreaming of her travels. I am going to tie the thread of the prints to the book Around The World In Eighty Days by Jules Verne. The prints I have completed (and still working on) are named from phrases or chapter headings from that book. The main character of my work is of course Lady Penelope and not Phileas Fogg! I am having fun playing on the titles or using some of references from the book. Each print stands alone as having some significance to a part of my life or an experience of my travels, but strung together, they carry the narrative of the lighthearted, fast-moving journey of Lady Penelope. Like Fogg, the journey tak...

I had some adventures with the copper today. I printed out the little copper etching of the carpet bag and was pleased that the softground had not completely wrecked the plate. To be honest, I am quite chuffed at the result. I took a quick proof and did a little burnishing to highlight some areas. I think the background just needs a dark aquatint for drama, then I should be ready to print my edition. This image is my pulp adventurer's carpet bag, a parody of Phylius Fogg's travel bag from "Around the World in 80 Days", by Jules Verne. I think I feel comfortable calling my character "Lady Penelope Pinkerton-Smythe". I think that sounds like a woman that does not put up with any fuss and nonsense. The softground is quite subtle after all, phew! Here I have applied the aquatint using paint. In the past I had used a pretty toxic powder that would settle on the plate (and in the lungs probably), then be melted on. I seem to remember setting fire to this substance...

Yesterday morning, I worked on finishing book one. The rest of the day I stitched and covered a second book using one of the other cover prints. I am going to make this my journal of impossible things, coined from Doctor Who's book. In this book I will paint, draw and take notes of my own adventures in it. Both books are drying and are ready for filling as art books at a later time.

Tuesday Night, I guess I am still in painting mindset. I treated the ink like paint and glazed areas to get the softening I wanted around the edges. As soon as I added oil to the ink something happened. It became so good to play with; rich, oily and sensual. Who knew printing could feel so good? Using a paintbrush, I stroked the glaze onto the edges of the images and rubbed it into the main areas with a cloth. Now I feel much happier with the way it works with the paper. Tuesday afternoon, I worked on the book cover prints again on rag paper. I think I might play with inks to soften the edges of the circles. I find the edge of the blocks too harsh for such soft paper. Stitching might work well too. Hmmm, I should just get on with it as I still have signatures to make and sew for the book. Tuesday Morning I am hosting a steampunk themed ATC swap on March 1st. Here are 4 of my artist trading cards from the "Ticking of the clock" collection. I am planning ...

My name is Carole-Ann Ricketts, I am an artist living in Reno, Nevada, USA. I am British and lived and studied in England for most of my life. I travelled quite a lot over the years and my experiences have always influenced my paintings and other works.This year I have decided to take the bull by the horns and work on what has always been my weakest area: Printmaking. Having been something of a disaster zone in any print room I have encountered, I am looking forward to seeing if my misadventures are now a thing of the past. I don't know much about blogging but I will give it a shot. I will try and keep it professional, but chances are I will end up waffling about what my cats ate or what my kids did at school. Anyway, my goals for the year are loose, I want to concentrate on printmaking, but if the need arises, I will paint or do whatever else the muse would have me do. Along the printmaking path, I hope to get some work in exhibitions and participate in some collaborations. I ...