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The poster represents much of what I find special about the Fair. We love to see the animals, and that is our #1 priority when we visit. Horse shows, the fish in the conservation building, cows, sheep, pigs. Our favorite is the rabbit & poultry barn. Modeled on a photo I took a few years ago, this fella keeps an eye on me, while in a cage behind him, a bunny peeks out to see what's up, doc?

 

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 The Erie County Fair slogan is "The Best 12 Days of Summer. Opening day has changed over the years, but the anticipation is still great. When I was a kid, it was preceded by the arrival of the James E. Strates shows train, and by a grand parade full of floats built by every community in the County. For myriad reasons, the opening has become more compact, with a grand opening at the main gate, and a canned food drive. When people say "This ain't the fair I remember!" My answer is "That's because it's alive. The only things that don't change are in museums." The fair that adults remember today were pale imposters to our great grandparents. Kids going to the Fair in 2023 will relish the memories, and scoff at the 227th. That's how history works.

To honor Opening Day, I have the Main Gate wrought Iron sign, with balloons st aloft. This was the square I fretted over from the moment I drew it. The lettering and thin lines were a fright to carve. But it all printed beautifully.

Whew!

I headed down to the studio, armed with my Plan B and expecting failure. However, as you can see, all is well!

....so far.

But I've learned -- again! --that patience is the most important tool with reduction woodcut. 

Unfortunately, the clock is ticking on this print, or I'd give each color 5 days of drying. I'm hoping 48 hours is enough. We're well into the rainy season right now, so the humidity is a huge issue.

Hoping to print ochre Thursday. After that, we get into the blues!

 

Tied Up With A Ribbon



A quick update on the last print, now called "Amy's Hill (St. Martin's)." As you see, it won a blue ribbon in it's class, which was surprise enough. But it also netted a green special award ribbon, which turned out to be a 1 year membership for two to the Albright Knox Art Gallery, which was a stunning surprise.

I was humbled by all of the great work on the walls at the Fair. Such great local talent!

I also participated in the Plein Air competition. I'm not a painter, but I had the BEST time. Great weather, great people. My effort was less than stellar, but I'm proud they I participated.

Dry In Time

I was able to get "Amy's Hill (7 color reduction woodcut) ready in time to enter for the Erie County Fair creative arts competition. I'd love to revisit it when I have more time to spend -- I really pushed myself here, as I was also on a 90-day cartooning quest.

I'm happy with it overall, but I can see all the places where I rushed. I'm currently designing a jig that will allow me to do rainbow rolls again -- the gradation of color helps to give the impression of depth. But I love the colors and the movement -- the sense of movement in the grass. I think the seed buds of the grass came out really well. The clouds would have looked much better on a graded sky.

Also up for consideration is "Canyons of Buffalo." I'm really feeling the pull back to the studio, so I'm hoping to report more on here.

Hope you can make it to the Erie County Fair this year, and please stop into the Creative Arts building (in the grandstand) and see what your friends and neighbors have been up to. Careful though -- you may get inspired!

Out of the Blue

As you know, I was just glad to have finished "Ohio Street" in time to show at the Erie County Fair. I was just happy to have solved the problems that had plagued my printmaking for years. I was so shocked and humbled by the ribbon. So much talent on display, I am certain that a mistake was made. Barring that, I am grateful to the judges and volunteers, and applaud all of my fellow participants. Every year, the arts and crafts competition elevates the fair from your average deep-fried carnival, from sewing arts to photography, fine arts to antiques. Aaaaaaaaand, it'the coldest building on the fairgrounds!

A River Runs Through It

This is state #4 of the second try for the "Ohio St Bridge" print. I am happy to report that the new ink has performed excellently. The inks are Graphic Chemical and Renaissance Graphic inks. I have abandoned burnt plate oil for hydrolyzed linseed oil, known as Sets well. This gives inks a creamy, buttery texture that allowed the ink to stand up and flow out, making coverage easier and facilitating overprinting. I only use a small amount, and even with white ink, it works great. I have also switched from Grumbacher cobalt drier to Hancock, which I used for ten years without issue. One single drop per ounce of ink and The print is dry the next day. There are 3 more colors. This print will be my entry in the 2016 Erie County Fair.

Wind At My Back

Every year my wife and I enter various competitions in the creative arts building at the Erie County Fair (Hamburg, NY). We've been doing it for close to 15 years now, and love it every year. It's a pleasure to see such great art and craft work by our neighbors, and I'd be lying if it isn't a thrill to see a ribbon on your work. This year our craft work didn't collect any ribbons, but I was pretty surprised to find that not only did "Sweet Breeze" breeze into port flying a bright blue flag, but a green one as well. The green denotes a special prize, usually from one of the sponsors of the competition ("Autumn Camper" from a few years ago received a green from Hyatt's art supplies). And a first for me was a ribbon -- blue no less -- (AND a green) for a photograph taken at the Fair last year.

If you get a chance to attend the Fair this year, please stop by and see all of the great work from your friends and neighbors, and if you have a creative bent, PLEASE pledge to participate next year. You'll be glad you did!!!

A Fair Critique

This year is the 175th Erie County Fair, one of the largest county fairs in the USA. This year, as is our tradition, Amy and I have participated in the Creative Arts exhibition. We started doing this about a dozen years ago, and love being part of all of the creativity of display in the building. We did stop for a couple of years while we were living in the city. Coming back home to Hamburg has reenergized us, and though it has been a slow climb back up to where we left off, this year we seem to have found our footing. In addition to a second place ribbon in the "Professional-Miscellaneous" division for "Sunflower Farm", I also came away with a white ribbon for my silly cherry pie rock (see previous post). But Amy came away with a patriotic-looking fistful of awards, a red for her pansy painted rock, a white for her awesome shell wreath, and a blue for her elegant beaded Christmas ornament.

If you head out to the Fair this year, make a point of stopping at the Creative Arts building (now located in the Grandstand) and check out the amazing work of your friends and neighbors. It looks to be the best fair ever!

Rocking A Slice of Pie

The Erie County Fair is a week away. Amy and I regularly enter the fine arts and craft competitions. Every year we paint rocks, and every year it seems I end up doing something food-related. I'm like the Weird Al of rock painting, I guess. Last year it was a baked potato with sour cream and chives. This year it's a lattice-crust cherry pie. And I'm writing this at lunch time, and now I'm hungry.

Red Means GO!

I would like to thank the judges for the Fine Arts competition at the 2013 Erie County Fair (Hamburg, New York) for selecting my print "Autumn Camper" for Second Place (Red Ribbon)--Professional division. It's a real honor to be judged by one's peers. The competition is nothing short of amazing, and if you make it to the Fair this year, please stop by the arts building located at the lower level of the Grandstand. The Fair has made so many improvements to the interior that it's a real treat to spend some time looking at the amazing talents of your friends and neighbors. It's also the coldest place at the Fair -- the A/C is full blast all the time!

It has been eleven years since I entered my very first color reduction woodcut print into the Fair competition, taking second place in the Novice Division. It's always been an honor to hang on the wall with some really great work.

Congratulations also to my wife, Amy, who's flowers made of cut aluminum soda cans earned a white ribbon in the Recycled Crafts competition!

Green Light!

Well, here in the Western New York region, the past few days have been pretty chilly, and the James E. Strates Shows train has pulled into the village depot signalling a.) the start of the Erie County Fair and b.) the coming end of summer. I know, it's barely August, but knowing that, after the Fair, it's a pretty fast slide into dark mornings and frosty nights.

However, the bright green of the latest state for "Memorial Day" has cheered me immensely. There are three more colors left, and I hope to use them to really bring some depth to this print. The last three are dark green, dark blue and black.

I was very concerned about the green, because the color is made with pthalo green and hansa yellow, two very transparent inks. However, I got a nice surprise -- the ink worked well with the blue beneath it, toning down the yellow in the color and bringing out a more natural, summery leaf green.

Speaking of the Fair, my print "Autumn Camper" will be in competition in the Arts Building. It's been a while since I entered, and I'm happy to be back on the wall. Judging by the entries I saw on drop off day, the competition is stiff, with so much great art, from amateur to professional. I would hate to be a judge. I love to see other artists doing greatwork, and I hope to be soundly trounced.

I have to praise the Erie County Fair for making the recarpeting of the Arts Building a priority. The building, which was formerly the racetrack's casino, had the garish floors only Donald Trump could love. They were downright disorienting. But now, they are a nice neutral, and there are quilt-like paintings on the ceilings. Great job -- it makes the building a lot more pleasant to spend time in.