A New Website / Blog

At the beginning of the year, I decided to create a new website that had a more professional appearance and consolidated everything in one place; background information, artwork, exhibition news, and a blog. After checking around, I decided to investigate WordPress. (http://wordpress.org/) It provided a number of templates to select from and I even found one that allowed me to have a fixed home page, which I felt was important. I also liked the fact that I could update the site whenever I wanted without having to go through a web designer.

Now I'm not a computer wizard so the process took a bit of trial and error but with some patience and time I was able to put something together that looks pretty good and is easy to navigate. It simplifies things and I like the fact that I can direct people to one comprehensive site. I'm hoping it works out well and would appreciate you stopping by to have a look. (Feedback is always welcome!)

me.http://melodyknightleary.wordpress.com/

Tapestry of Feathers

I recently finished a second "kid friendly" print for an upcoming children's exhibition and had a lot of fun just playing around with the monotype process. I based the print on a photo I took last year of a beautiful peacock at the Honolulu Zoo. I felt it would be eye-catching and appeal to children of all ages.

The print is a monotype created with Akua Intaglio ink. After masking out the bird's body, I inked up some bubble wrap scraps to lay in a basic background texture and rolled in other areas of color directly with the brayer; unwanted areas of ink were wiped away with a cotton swab. I created the image on a sheet of plexiglass and ran it through the press each time new information was added to the plate. I also used a few found objects as stamps.

When you're up close to one of these magnificent birds, all you notice is layer upon layer of beautiful feathers. Since I couldn't resist printing some actual feathers, I sacrificed an old feather duster and printed with wild abandon. Since my goal was to create intricate, complex layers to imitate the birds plumage, the actual feathers worked well.

Periodically, I would paint directly onto the plate to add detailed elements; some of which would get lost as I overprinted textural elements. I finally reached a point where I just had to force myself to stop.

This turned out to be a good exercise and forced me to let go and embrace the process rather than the outcome. It was all about experimentation tempered with experience which ultimately yielded an interesting print.

Local Traffic Report

I finally finished my piece for this summers "Inklings" exhibition at the National Children's Medical Center in Washington D.C. I had initially planned on using two plates; one for color and one for line work. However, after pulling my first prints, I wasn't happy with the outcome and decided to change course. I switched over to Akua Intaglio Inks for heavier coverage & less bleeding into the paper. I like the painterly quality of the new print and felt that it didn't need to be over printed with line work.

It seems like I've been working on this project forever and have changed course a few times along the way. What initially started out as a screen print changed into a combination monotype/monoprint and eventually ended up as a straight monotype. Stepping away from the project for a few days and convincing myself to just have some fun, really helped me to move forward with the print.

This piece was based on a pile of old Matchbox cars and I think its a light hearted interpretation of an everyday occurrence that many endure: "commuter traffic". I'm hoping it will appeal to both kids and adults.

Slow and Steady

Took a break yesterday to check on my other creative project. It's been slow going because this crazy New England weather just won't settle down; storms every few days. After an exceptionally snowy winter and now a rainy spring, it makes it difficult to move ahead. We're hoping that sooner or later we'll have a string of really nice weather so the project can speed up a bit.

It was great to see the roof trusses go up. You get such an interesting sense of space looking through all of the wooden studs. It's like being inside a giant Erector Set. I'm starting to get a real sense of the space and the views will be amazing. I know there will be a lot of work ahead once the framers are through and my husband and I begin to work on the interior. It's sure to be a long hot summer but just going slow and steady will get the job done. Right now, I'm hoping we will be celebrating Thanksgiving at the beach.