Every once in a while.....:Vincent Colvin

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Every once in a while - you have the good fortune to meet someone inspired, and therefore - inspiring. Vincent Colvin is one of the most sincere, enthusiastic, un-ashamed-ly full of wonder and curiosity, person/artist (artist=person=artist (?) (different conversation all together)) I have had the pleasure of getting to know in a long time.

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Recently relocating from Philadelphia to Austin, TX (noooooooooooooooo!), Vince has been keeping us updated of his doings over at his blog, The Benthos. Earlier this week it was a post about an Ammonoid Fossil he found in the Colorado River. Then just the other day, an investigative post on the common wasp and why it might be going rapid attack on a moth in Vince's garden (complete with 5 minutes of live footage)!

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We talk about art, the art scene, the art market, trends in art, contemporary art, art history, our individual art practices, politics, popular culture, top 40, underground, indie, folk art, DIY, crust punks, intellects, sculptors, curators, professors, meter maids, and lunch truck ladies - - - but we mustn't forget the origin of all of this : WONDER.

Why do we make the things that we do? What compels us to enter those secret and special places inside of ourselves? Why are you infatuated with old globes and snake skins? Why does the sight of a whole section of different color duct tape in the hardware store make us giddy?

Wonder: wond-der. -verb: to think or speculate curiously; to be filled with admiration, amazement or awe; -noun: something strange and surprising: a cause of surprise; the emotion excited by what is strange; miraculous deed or event; remarkable phenomenon.

You get the picture. Now go pick some up !- figure out what turns you on and hold onto it! Wonder - it's what we can do.

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Check out some of Vince's new experiments with woodcuts on his blog, here, you can also see more of his work on his website, here. Get jealous of Austin, here. Buy your ticket to visit and show up on Vince's doorstep, here.

Wednesday Work: John Buck's Woodcuts (and more!)

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"The Preserve": 2005

Color woodcut : 62 x 37" : Ed. 15

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"The Coal Mine": 1996

Color woodcut : 62 x 37" : Ed. 15

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"Argosy": 1998
Color woodcut : 62½ x 37" : Ed. 15

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"War Eagle": 2010
Color woodcut with hand coloring : 37 x 73" : Ed. 15

John Buck resides between Montana and Hawaii. He not only works with these beautifully detailed woodblock prints, he also works with wood carving and bronze sculpture. He has shown his work extensively and a retrospective of his graphic work is currently on a national exhibition. To see this work in person would be a dream! It will be on exhibition at the Yellowstone Art Museum through January 2011, so if you're in the area, check it out.

Ok, now more of the good stuff:

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"Projections and Predictions", 2008

wood & acrylic, 71 x 71 x 3.5 inches

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"The In Crowd", 2003

blown glass and wood

Is there any medium this guy hasn't eloquently mastered?

And check out where the magic happens...

Now this looks like the kinda place I'd like to spend my days.

Read more about John Buck here.

Wednesday Work: Tugboat Printshop

The Bonfire

The newest print, full color woodcut, 2010

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The Deep Blue Sea
Series of 22 prints, color woodcuts, 2008-2009

"The Iceburg"

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"Magic Carpet"

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Paul Roden and Valerie Lueth of Pittsburgh, PA make up the collaborative efforts of one of my favorite print-making outfits, Tugboat Printshop. I often cannot believe my eyes at the amazing attention to detail that these two put into making each woodcut block. Check out their house, studio, and work in action here.


Also, I'm OH SO INSPIRED by their new showcase idea... A Tugboat Printshop Printcart!

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Their new print cart was recently featured at the Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia.


You can check it out for yourself, live and in person, tomorrow, May 27th from 10AM - 5PM at The Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, PA.
If you can't make it out to the Printcart tomorrow, you have two more chances: June 10th and June 20th.