Final thoughts on the One State conference

At the One State Illinois conference that I just attended, one of the most absorbing and inspiring presentations was given by Orbert Davis, who teaches jazz at the University of Chicago, and who is the founder and leader of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. He began by walking onto the stage, picking up his trumpet, and playing an obbligato, Louis Armstrong-inspired blues for a few minutes. He then gave a talk about the CJP, his creative process, which involves 75% research followed by 25% composing, and the necessity for music education from the earliest years in American schools.

He showed some clips of performances by his quintet and the CJP. The one I liked best was his variations on Miles Davis' 'Sketches of Spain'. And here is a You Tube clip I found of him performing it. As I (ahem) 'tweeted' after he'd finished speaking, Mr. Davis deepened my conviction that music is the most profound and the highest expression of art:

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Restoring my Printing Press

I've just finished restoring and assembling my large etching press -- a six week process involving lots of rust removal, scrubbing with steel wool, and repainting. Here is a photo of the same kind of press from the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative: And here is a short YouTube video of me testing the press, making sure the motor still works after nearly seven years of lying in storage:

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Brancusi in Plastic

Artist Mary Ellen Croteau is showing these columns made from recycled plastic cartons and lids in the window of the Columbia College bookstore on Michigan Avenue. They are a playful homage to Brancusi's "Endless Columns", with a serious environmental message for our times: Image copyright Inhabitat.com and Mary Ellen Croteau Mary Ellen also runs a wonderful experimental art gallery in a window space in west Chicago, called Art on Armitage . I will be exhibiting a mixed media piece there during August 2012.

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How to etch a linoleum block

Linoleum as a material for printmaking has been used for nearly a hundred years now. Normally, you cut an image out using special gouges similar to woodcut tools, cutting away the lino around the image you want to print. This is called relief printmaking, because if you look at the block from the side, the material that remains stands up in relief from the backing material. You then roll ink with a brayer over the surface of the block, place paper over it, and either print by hand or run it through a press. You can do complex things this way (for example, reduction linocuts), but the beauty of the process is that it is quick, simple, and direct. Incised lino block, from me.redith.com Etched lino block, from Steve Edwards A few years ago, I saw some prints that were classified as coming from etched linoleum blocks, and I loved the textures I saw in them. In the last few months, I've been trying to use this technique in my own studio, learning about it as one does these d

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