"Building Bridges - Laos"

Please check out the latest documentory video of volunteer work I've been in volved with.

http://youtu.be/vyjw1XKdoUs

BUILDING BRIDGES - One Book At A Time

Here's some footage of the project I am currently involved with in Thailand and later next week in Laos.

If you're interested in contributing towards the purchase of additional books for additional school locations, please contact me at mailedart741@yahoo.com for payment options and rewards for donations.

BUILDING BRIDGES - One Book At A Time

WAT TAAD KHAM - Chiang Mai, Thailand

This is one of the images from my September 2012 Edition. Prints are available for purchase and will help fund this years Volunteer trip to Thailand and Laos.

Volunteer Fundraising Link HERE

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - LINOCUT EDITION - SEPTEMBER 2012 / "WAT PAN WHAEN"

WAT PAN WHAEN

I decided to walk through areas of Chiang Mai's old city that I had never been through before and discovered this sleepy temple towards the southern end of the city along some winding roads.

INITIAL SKETCH - DRAWN ON-SITE IN CHIANG MAI

CUT LINO

INKED LINO AND INITIAL TEST PRINT

FINAL ARTIST'S PROOF PRINT

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - LINOCUT EDITION - SEPTEMBER 2012

I finally started cutting out my linocuts from my trip to Chiang Mai in September of 2012.
This is the first of the series and represents the process of printing an Artists Proof for me to make any adjustments for the eventual printing of the full edition.

"As promised, I rang in the new year last night by working on an art piece. I finished cutting the first lino from my most recen trip to Chiang Mai. This is a very special place to me, a shaded peaceful spot towards the back of Wat Phrasingh, where many young monks would gather to meet their friends, sometimes study and often, just hang out and enjoy the company of friends and curious foreigners. I showed up here on one of my last days to draw this piece while Phra's Kritsada Prueprung, Yee Vongpaseuth and Khamla Yotthavong were still in class."

INITIAL SKETCH ON PRE-MEASURED PIECE OF LINO. 

DRAWN ON-SITE IN CHIANG MAI

CUT LINO

FINAL PRINT

"NICOLAS" - Commisioned Portrait

This is the progression of a 2-color linocut portrait I was commissioned to create for my friend Nico, (Nicolas Gerard), a gift he was pesenting to his parents in France because he doesn't get to see his family as often as he'd like to. He asked me if I'd be interested in creating a portrait of him in any medium I wanted. Just so happens I've been wanting to work on a 2-color print as I haven't in quite some time. Thanks Nico, the timing couldn't have been better. ;O)

THE FINAL IMAGE - "NICOLAS"

Step 1 - Initial Sketch on Linoleum

Step 2 - First Cut for First Color

Step 3 - First Color Printing

Step 4 - Second Cut for Second Color

Step 5 - Second Color Printed

Print of Second Color Only

Final Image - Print of Second Color On Top Of First Color

Thai Inspired "HALLOWEEN"

INITIAL DRAWING ON LINOLEUM

CARVED LINO

INKED LINO

FINAL PRINT

If anyone is interested in purchasing a print, these a oil-based ink on white Rives BFK 100% Rag acid-free paper. Image size 4' X 6", paper size 6" X 8". 

$50.00 (includes first class shipping to US addresses.)

Please contact me for payment options.

WOOD VESSELS

I decided upon my return to NYC from Thailand to create a special little hand-carves vessel to hold a tiny Buddha I purchased while at a visit ti Wat Doi Suthep.

This little vessel carving ended up being the first of 2 others that I worked on while I was stuck in the apartment during the recent storm we experienced in NYC and the region. The additional 2 carvings hold heart-shaped stones I've picked up over the years and am ready to set free.

Eventually these other 2 little vessels, (and a few more), with all of their imperfections, will be gold-leafed and ready for sale.

POSTCARDS FROM CHIANG MAI

In an effort to continue the tradition of sending my self postcards with "impressions" of the places I'm traveling to, I managed to send myself 2 sketches and my roommate a 3rd sketch. There are 2 more heading to friends and family, perhaps if I get scans of those, I'll be able to post them here as well. 

NEW LINO SKETCHES FROM CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - September 2012

Here are scans of the 11 lino sketches I produced while in Chiang Mai this past month. I only wish I had more time to add a few more images to this edition, there is definitely a couple of temples i visited with unique and special things i would have loved to have captured as images for a print. Guess there's always the next time. Now it's time to get started cutting and printing these guys. 

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat ???

Wat Sri Suphan

Wat Phra Singh / Monks

Wat Phra Singh

Wat Sri Suphan / Buddha

Wat Taad Kham / Behind the Vihara

Wat Chiang Mun

Wat Pan Whaen

Wat Prasart / Buddha

Wat Taad Kham / Alter behind main Vihara

CHIANG MAI SKETCHBOOK - September 2012

Here are some of the sketches I put into my travel sketchbook while traveling to Chiang Mai, Thailand during the month of September 2012

Tokyo / Narita Airport

Bangkok Airport

"Arm" Asleep In The Truck / Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Doi Suthep

Wat Phra Singh / Feet of Reclining Buddha

Birth Year "Rat" / Monks with new haircuts at Wat Phra Singh

CURRENT ARTWORK CREATED IN CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

I'm currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand as part of my yearly exodus from NYC during my birthday month. This year, I've decided to return to Chiang Mai after having been here in January as part of the inaugural team of Volunteer Positive. My experience was so enlightening at the time and I met some wonderful people while here initially, I decided to come back on my own in order to expand on the previous experience, in order to draw, paint, explore, volunteer with Cultural Canvas/ Art Relief International, and celebrate my own life.

I will not bore you with the details of traveling on a buddy pass internationally, suffice it to say, I appreciate the $ I saved, the generosity of my friend Edie, (and the upgraded travel on the first leg of the trip to Business Class), but I did end up traveling an entire extra day. I left my apartment on Weds, September 5 at 10:30 a.m. and reached my destination at 9 a.m., Saturday the 8th. That includes an 11 hour time difference. Either way you look at it, I was a mess by the time I arrived in Chiang Mai. The initial flights 2 hour delay in NYC creating the avalanche of missed flights that followed, and being on a buddy pass meant I was rescheduled at the airlines convenience, not mine. Please note: I am not complaining about any of this, just relaying information to anyone else who might be interested in traveling internationally on a buddy pass with standby tickets.

Alas, that already seems like months past. I am now quite happily engrossed in my travels in Chiang Mai and want to use this page as a means to show the artwork I have created so far, including a couple of the drawing I did in transit.

I hope you enjoy and come back as I will be adding more images as I finish them, and then eventually as I return to NYC, scan, cut and print my new "Chiang Mai September 2012" Portfolio. I will be selling prints form this Portfolio as well as from my "Chiang Mai - January 2012" Portfolio in order to return to volunteer with Volunteer Positive in February 2013.

LEAVING NARITA FOR BANGKOK

WAT CHIANG MUN/MAN/MON

WAT  SRI SUPHAN

WAT SRI SUPHAN

WAT TAAD KHAM

WAT PAN WHAEN

WAT PRASART

WAT DOI PHRATHAT SUTHEP