An Escher moment

[GoddessOfGuinness]

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I love Escher...

HIs art is so mind-blowing, so unreal, yet real at the same time! I even adapted one of his works into a stitchery that I now have here on my study wall, framed...I'll post a pic of it in a moment...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. That's beautiful!

You're so talented! :-)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Thank you!

My dear GoddessOfGuiness....how very kind of you...The photo's colors aren't quite right.. but I didn't want to use the flash, as you can imagine why...And the stitch is a very simple one, rather like a satin stitch. The hard part was designing the pattern, and my very talented oldest daughter did that. She adapted this pattern from a painting by Escher.

:toast:

[Tom Kitten]

6. Peggy that's nice!

Is that needlepoint?

I have a pillowcase that was hand stitched by a Hmong woman here in Portland that I bought years ago that is so beautiful yet so simple I just glassed and framed it and hung it on my wall.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Hi, Tom...

Well, actually, no, it isn't needlepoint except in the very general use of the word. As I described upthread, it is rather more like a satin stitch. If I can help you visualize this stitch: The back of the work looks very much like the front, except for the anchoring knots. If you look closely, you can actually see some of the longer stitches.

I've seen the Hmong's work, and have always loved it. Used to have some folk at our local fairs, but they haven't come by in many years now. Too bad. Lucky you!

:pals:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

38. Is lhis closer to reality?

[Tom Kitten]

4. So what do you see and think?

I'll go first, I see masterfully drafted images of a fractured reality, captured at different points in time, that are easily recognizable to us but have been put back together in a recognizable but illogical form that exhibit visual conundrums that defy our sense of common sense.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. * uh, yeah, right....* Of course, that's what I see, as well...

On second viewing, of your prose, that is...I do see what you see! I'm getting sleepy/tired, and at first reading, I was having trouble with it...You, on the other hand, sound fresh as a daisy, and quite coherent!

:eyes:

:pals:

[Tom Kitten]

9. oh now...

have I ever been really that coherent in the first place? But not to worry, I'm working on it! As soon as I become fully coherent I plan to run for public office! :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. You sure sound coherent to me!

Are you REALLY going to run for public office? If so, then good for you! Oregon could use some smart liberals in office, IMHO! As could any state...

:yourock:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. What I really see

is the inside of my head. (It's the conundrum thing) :D

[Tom Kitten]

20. well you know

That's pretty much it! Communication between heads can be good and at the same time sometimes fun though!

[evlbstrd]

7. Escher was the reason I studied lithography.

And his playful use of pattern, perspective and spacial relationships. But I never bought a black light Escher poster.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. Hi there, evlbstrd!

I can see why you'd want to study him...his work is fascinating...We have several books about him and his work around here, and every now and then I dig them out and marvel anew.

You have waaaay too much class to have bought such a thing!

:loveya:

[evlbstrd]

13. Thank you, CP.

And I learned how to make prints from a slab of limestone to boot!
That printing process led to the print materials you see today. And I have a career because I learned how it works.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. I was first turned on to Escher in the dentist's office

He had a copy of the fish to birds print that seemed especially humorous under the influence of nitrous oxide.

[evlbstrd]

17. His work was a huge hit in the 60's.

But I always hated the black light versions.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

21. Mercifully,

I've never seen any of those. Sounds like they're in the same league as Velvet Elvis...

[evlbstrd]

24. Only the flourescent repros.

His lithographs are amazing. Escher was very talented.

[Tom Kitten]

19. ah yes the dentist's office with nitrous oxide!

that's where I was first turned on to muzak versions of "The Girl From Ipanema"...wonderful song, wonderful song!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. It IS a great song...

until you hear it in an elevator...

[Tom Kitten]

18. I never bought a black light Escher poster either.

Mainly because Escher never did Elvis!
I'm envious you learned lithography in order to make a living from it! Unfortunately my school was soft on lithography but I was able to learn intaglio and have been able to make my living doing that.

[evlbstrd]

27. I never learned intaglio.

Now I envy you!
But lithography from drawing with a crayon on stone is now so far removed from commercial offset printing. Sigh.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

29. And a very good evening to you, my dear evlbstrd....

Could/would you explain intaglio is to me? I've heard of it, but have no real idea about it...Thanks!

:hug:

[evlbstrd]

30. Intaglio is carving the image into a metal plate, inking and wiping it.

Then you press dampened paper into it to get the print. Many printmakers combine it with etching, wherein you paint the plate with a protecing coating, and use acid baths to eat the metal surface that is left exposed.
Lithography also uses acids, but the stone surface isn't disturbed. Instead, wherever you drew or painted on the surface, ink will be attracted and water repelled. And you use lots of water when making lithographs.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

32. Good grief, my dear evlbstrd! Sounds so complicated...

But I thank you for your clear explanation... :pals:

[evlbstrd]

34. Art ain't easy, CP.

But I had a teacher who put it most succinctly:
"The asshole is the bottom of the torso."
"Artists are the free-est people on earth. People tell you you'll starve and die young because they're jealous."

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. My dear GoddessOfGuiness....

Please forgive me for having hijacked YOUR thread...I truly did not expect all this to happen...I wasn't grandstanding, or anything.

x(

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. Not at all!

I was lurking around elsewhere, not at all expecting anyone to comment on this thread. Then I saw 11 replies listed! LOL!

[Shell Beau]

23. Super cool!

[KitchenWitch]

25. Escher totally rocks.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

26. A few more

[CaliforniaPeggy]

28. Thank you so much for posting these!

They never lose their fascination for me!


:hi:

[evlbstrd]

31. You can see the texture in the stones he printed with.

That's one of the coolest things about lithography.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

33. Yes, the textures do show up so very well...

Lithography: drawing on stone...very cool, indeed! :hug:

[evlbstrd]

35. And most printmaking processes require that you work backwards.

That can lead to some less than pleasant resuls.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

36. Isn't that the truth?

I learned that painful lesson many years ago, when I decided to make my own Christmas cards. I was doing a linoleum block print, and did NOT make the letters backwards...so they printed backwards. I was able to sort of fix it, but it was a lesson I NEVER forgot.

OH well, I've graduated to using a photo that I took during the current year for my card...it's a lot easier, and a whole lot more beautiful!

I'm off to bed now...my eyes are hazy, and my fingers don't want to type anymore...Grand talking with you tonight, my dear evlbstrd...

As always......:pals: :hug:

[evlbstrd]

37. G'night, CP.

Always nice to talk with you, too.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

39. Here's another Escher print I recently ran across: I LOVE it!