In June of 2022 I started a drawing inspired by one of my favorite views — after hikes and bike rides I love to see the Cincinnati skyline from Devou Park’s overlook.

In June of 2023, I finally got to burn the screens and after another month passing I was able to finally get a block of time in the studio to paint. I expanded my color palette of Procion Dyes I use as a watercolor medium – taking time to re-mix and experiment with test prints (below).

What I love about these watercolor monoprints is the ability to be both loose and free with watercolor but also having the control of painting within a stencil on the screen.

Planning a few more variations while I have this image in the screens. More to come!

Some of the work-in-progress digital paintings and sketches in my ProCreate app.

Before embarking on this new collection and goal of “12 masterpieces” in 2022 I have been doing some electronic sketches and studies using the iPad and the app Procreate. Above are some of the sketches I have been producing over the winter.

I’ve been trying to get into the practice of documenting scenes and the effects of different times of day and the light, as well as the atmospheric gas affects of the clouds.

I’ve been also trying to get interesting vantage points and views of urban landscapes that might resonate with other people.

Once I build up this collection of subject matter and I plan to start experimenting with a variety of production methods:

- multicolor Serigraphs

- serigraph watercolor monoprints

- polyester lithography

- letterpress, magnesium plates

- woodcuts

- engravings (but need to teach myself)

- acrylic  and oil paintings

- watercolor paintings (maybe studies)

- pen and ink drawings

The past few years I feel like I've been balancing commissions with maintaining the Cincinnati Heritage Collection. I have been experimenting here and there with styles and developing new collections.

I've settled on a new collection that feels less graphic arts and advertising based and more observational art prints of scenes. This new collection may still be based in Cincinnati, but it feels a bit more liberating and I enjoy capturing reference imagery and using printmaking to capture reality in a stylized manner.

The prompt of 12 in '22 is inspired

by my 52 in 2011

—a

New Year's resolution

that really started this current chapter of my career. In 2011 I felt very stagnant creatively, so I set the goal of creating 1 piece of artwork or creativity per week to re-inspire myself. With this new prompt of 12 in '22 I want to create 1 strong piece per month, and focus on quality of execution during the development of this new collection of work.

Last year I had the pleasure to develop a new piece experimenting in this new style to the Tiger Lily Press Calendar. I went to the Cincinnati Riverfront in the evening and photographed reference for a great cropping of 3 landmarks from our skyline that would fit into a 6" x 8" crop. I spent about 17-18 hours illustrating the scene, and about 16 hours printing 150 of the 3-color prints (what a long day!).

I'm planning to adapt this series to other mediums as well; for instance an idea for a woodblock of the riverfront at night (see below) and also to continue my work in Polyester Lithography as well.