Paw-Paw

William F. "Billy" Tietje 

born February 1918

World War II Veteran

Rice Farmer,  Jeff Davis Parish

Beloved father and grandfather

died October 2010

Louisiana's Oil

The next process we studied in printmaking was Wood Cut/Linoleum Cut (we had a choice of which medium we wanted to carve).  Both are Relief Printmaking, meaning that ink is applied to the raised portion of the block surface and printed (whereas with intaglio, where ink was rubbed into the crevices of the plate and that is what printed).  The process is pretty straight-forward: create a black and white composition, carve out the white space, and print the block.

Sketch of woodblock composition.

The concept for this project was "Positive and Negative".  Instantly I thought of Louisiana, because this interplay of positive and negative associations is what haunts me about the state.  I thought about our recent tragedies, Katrina and the oil spill.  And I think they are related.  Related to the Mississippi River, related to politics, related to this dynamic and really unique environment that makes Louisiana special.  I focused on the oil industry.  For 30 years in Louisiana it has been extremely positive for the state.  A source of revenue and stable jobs it is the backbone of our economy.  And yet this spill gives light to precarious nature of the industry and how suddenly what was good became bad.  What we were thankful for became everyone's worse nightmare.  It is a confusing juxtaposition for sure.

Test Plate, Linoleum Cut, Samara Study

My composition illustrates oil on water.  It creates these beautiful marbled patterns, yet it harms our fragile coastline.  Another contradiction.  The oil is meant to be shown out in the gulf, with the mouth of the Mississippi on the horizon.  These forms, our eroding coastline and the marbled oil, I think share the same visual language.  They seemed related to me in some way.  I tried to create a visual perspective with the oil in the foreground,  the gulf in the middle ground, and Louisiana beyond.

I chose use wood for the block.  I  wanted the horizontal grain to be part of the image.  We tested the carving process on a linoleum plate to begin, and then did a few test prints, to learn the process.  Carving wood was a completely different animal... any cut against the grain felt like a gamble.  It was a slow process.  I used a drill bit with steel bristles to remove the weaker parts of the wood to create the middle ground texture. The printing process was mostly painless.  There were several areas where I just hadn't carved down deep enough so area that were white were revealing 'chatter', or black specs that weren't intended.

Overall I'm pleased with the result of my first wood block.  It is a strong concept, and I think and appropriate medium to talk about the spill.  I printed 5 on Japanese Masa paper.  If any Louisiana folk would like a print let me know.  Now that the plate is carved it's rather simple to make more prints.

My Work on Display

Perhaps you remember this series of drawings done in May?  (If not, check out the two posts here and here).  My professor, Dawn Hunter, stole the work, framed them, and displayed them in a new gallery of student work at USC.  Of the 2D work that I have completed at USC I'm really glad these pieces been featured.  They are studies of the variety of textures and forms that are found in nature, which are elements that are very informative in my current work.

About the Jo Holladay Funchess Gallery:

A new Department of Art student gallery that is opening in the Counseling and Human Development Center at USC. This space is dedicated in memory of former Carolina student Jo Holladay Funchess. 

Jo Holladay Funchess, *Jo Holly*, died prematurely this past spring. She touched the lives of so many in the Department of Art and the university community. The Student Gallery Committee felt that it will be a great privilege to remember her by naming this new gallery space in her honor. They especially felt this way because Jo Holly was the first student to exhibit her work in the McMaster Student Gallery when it opened five years ago.

This new gallery is featured as part of the newly remodeled 7th floor waiting area and vestibule spaces of the Byrnes building. The 7thfloor of the Byrnes building houses the Counseling and Human Development Center, Human Resources: International Support for Faculty and Staff, and the School of the Environment.

Samara, Subtractive Sculpture

This is our 'Subtractive Sculpture' project using mortar.  I colored mine, terra cotta.  We mixed up the mortar and let it set for a couple of days in a 5 gallon bucket.  When it is still wet, in the early stages, it can be manipulated a bit easier than when it has set up for a week.  So in the pictures above I am dividing my mortar into 3 slices.

The Samara is a form I have always been interested in.  A samara is the fruit, or seed, of a maple tree.  They hang like red tassels from their branches in the spring time.  It is just such an interesting shape... I thought I would study it through this sculpture.

This project was especially hard on my hands.  The mortar does terrible things to your skin, and the tools and muscle required to sculpt these forms are just tough and awkward.  We used rock hammers and chisels, files, and a threaded rod to slowly find our forms in the mortar.  It was my intention to have three samaras hanging together but early in the process I knocked one in half.  

Progress on the mortar forms

Similar to working with clay I find it such a mystery that my hands can create what my mind sees.  I'm not sure how exactly that happens... I am such a planner in my art typically.  And there is little planning that goes into these forms.  You just work and struggle to see and understand the piece, and slowly it appears.  

I drilled a whole at the top of the form.  I glued a wire loop, and then connected to two with a longer wrapped wire, so that they hang as a pair.  I hope to hang them like yard ornaments from the dogwood tree that overhangs my deck.  I like the way they came out and I wish I had time to make about 5 more, because I think it would be really cool to see them in aggregate.

Intaglio Printmaking - The Farm

The next process we explored in printmaking was etching, or it's formal name, Intaglio.  In this process marks are made on a copper plate, ink is rubbed into those tiny lines and then transfered to paper through the press.  The process of etching the copper plate is not as straight forward as it would seem.  Once you have burnished the copper plate, insuring the surface is smooth and free from oils, you coat the plate in 'hard ground', which is a thick coating that resists acid.  You then carve your design in the plate through the hard ground and dip the whole plate in acid for about 30 minutes.  The acid 'bites' the exposed copper.  Wash off your ground and you'll find your design scored in the copper.

On the left: my copper plate coated with hard ground.  I transfered my sketch (right) to the plate by coating the back with a colored chalk pastel and retracing the lines. 

The concept our class was working from was 'identity'.  I started thinking about how so much of who I am and what I love is tied to the farm.  I thought about the generations of Tietjes cultivating the land and the impressions each one leaves through their work.  So I refashioned an aerial map of the farm, transforming the contour lines, or levees, of the rice fields into an aggregate of fingerprints.  I received really positive reviews from the class on my interpretation of this concept... it seemed to resonate with the audience.

I added another twist to the printing of this plate by incorporating chine-colle.  This method adds a bit of color to an otherwise black and white print by pressing the inked plate to a piece of colored paper coated in glue.  So when I ran this through the press it glued the sheet of tracing paper to the hefty cotton paper and impressed the image at the same time.  It was a headache trying to get this all lined up, making sure the glue didn't bleed too much, ect., but I really like the warm, aged feel of the print.  

I bit this plate in acid at two different times to get a hierarchy of linework.  I really liked all the detail that could be achieved with different types of hatchwork and textures, and I played with those methods to create depth and value in the image.  I'm pleased with the results, although I didn't like the process.  (Inking the plate is time-consuming and very dirty!) 

(To all my Tietje readers: I've got a print for each of you.  Maybe I could frame one for Christmas? :)).

'Savannah' Handknit Sweater

As if I weren't busy enough with all of my school work!  I was so excited about this project I managed to squeeze in this knitting project, completed over about 4 weeks of knitting in September and October.  I found the pattern and the yarn during our labor day trip to Asheville/Black Mountain. I mentioned to you that one of my classmates at Penland, Kim Dolce, was a knitware designer - this is one of her patterns.  This is her 'Savannah' sweater, pattern No. 0803.  For more details on the pattern and her collection, check out her website: http://www.dolcehandknits.com/collection_fawi.html

This pattern was listed as 'easy', and I was a bit skeptical.  But it was easy, it was just alot of knitting.  I followed the pattern, which is really hard for me to do, even following her recommendation for yarn selection.  The Yarn is by 'Nashua', 50% linen, 50% cotton.  The gauge on size 7 needles matched the pattern's gauge perfectly, so I didn't have to make any adjustments there.  I used less than the pattern called for, about 5 1/4 skeins at 220 yards per skein.  I did make one adjustment to the pattern:  the whole thing is about an inch or two shorter than she prescribed (I raised the hemline).  I'm a pretty short lady and I think the adjustment worked well for me.

This project was a success because I will wear this sweater.  (I actually wore it to church this morning to celebrate LSU's victory over Florida!).  But I have a couple of comments on the fit.  I think the gathering that subtly indicates the empire waist is a bit high... it does not sit under my bust.  This is probably because I am a little more busty than the typical 'XS' form.  I wish it were an inch lower.  Also, despite lots of blocking, the front edge curls in rather stubbornly.  However, when wearing the sweater neither of these issues really matter that much because it is so casual and the piece has such movement.  I don't think either is really noticeable.

I hate this part the most: being the model for my garments.  Especially when my husband works nights for a week straight, forcing me to set up this photo shoot solo.  The photography is bad, because I had to set a timer, the lighting sucks, ect.  Anyway, don't judge too harshly, but here is an idea about the fit.

Ceramics Progress Report

Shelves full of work!  First round of bowls and cylinders ready to be glazed.  I experimented with scraffito with white slip as well.  Second round of cups with handles ready to be bisqued.  

Maybe the best work I've done.  These bowls are 12.5"-13" in diameter, thrown of 6 lbs of clay.  Our next assignment is to make 5 bowls that are identical, and I've got 5 of these on my shelf now, waiting to be trimmed.  I finally feel like I'm being challenged and finding my aesthetic.  I'm very proud of these. 

This vase is for Meredith and Chase, a long overdue wedding gift.  It was thrown in 2 parts, combined, and then I distorted the thrown top.  It's about 14" tall and I'm really pleased with it, it's very elegant.  

The second is a close up on the latest series of cups with handles.  I feel like I'm starting to develop a sense of gesture with these pieces.  Also, I carved a stamp of my initials for my work.  The more I throw and work through problems on the wheel the more I learn about clay and process.  Really enjoying this semester in clay!

Big Beech

A marathon weekend with power tools, grinding and sanding, then more time with the blow torch on the surfaces, and finally I'm finished with the relief.  I was really pleased with the wood burning technique.  I used the pen burning tool to articulate the branches.  I used the blow torch on the foliage.  The earlywood (lighter wood between growth rings) burns first which leaves the latewood rings lighter in contrast.  I used a 'Heartwood' stain after all the burning.

After I assembled the piece I wish I had paid more attention to the background and added some depth/variation to the sky... but I was exhausted with this project and ready to move on.  I learned alot about working with plywood and their layers.  I hope you too see the depth of the perspective, and get lost in the branches as they recede.  The project will be hanging on the wall outside the shop at USC for the rest of the semester.