Brian Fisher Print, Paint and Sculpture Blog

"Dog Walkin Waltz" , Monotype with gold leaf,  26” x 20”. This will be very fun!   Janice Mallman, curator of the Vashon Island Allied Arts- Art Gallery, has invited 14 artists who love dogs to exhibit their doggy work at the Blue Heron from January 10-30, 2014. One of my favorite poets, Pablo Neruda, once wrote about his own dog- Joyful, joyful, joyful, as only dogs know how to be happy with all the autonomy of their shameless spirit. We are renewed in their Joy!  The image I have posted above tittled "Dog Walking Waltz" was made several years ago to celebrate the spirit of Shitashi, my wonderful Shiba Inu companion, who taught me how to dance every day. Below is the invite to the Dog Show!  My Monotype is at upper right and titled "The Aki Walk" in honor of my Shiba Inu, love and companion, Aki.  She is four now but still has a predilection for chasing birds and has often, (darn near), dislocated my shoulder in her chase!

Last weekend was the kick off for the Vashon Island Artist Studio tour and although my studio is not in the tour line-up this year I have work in several venues on Vashon and garden sculpture in the Small Works show at Roby King Galleries on Bainbridge Island.  All these openings were on the same night Friday December 6.  The work will show through the month. In the photo above I stand before some of my Monotype and sculptural work at The Heron's Nest, during the Vashon First Friday Artwalk. Sculpture and watercolor artist, Darsey Beck and I were the featured artists this month at the Heron's Nest on Vashon. Below is a shot taken at the opening of the Vashon Allied Arts Gallery's "Masters in Miniture" show.   My Monotype work (the three descending at center) along with print collage work by fellow artists and friends Janice Mallman (below) and Edith Sehulster (at right) were part of this 40+ artist invitational show.

"Kentro (center)" Monotype with Gold Leaf, (1/1), 6 x6 x 1.5 in. on panel Above and below are two of the Monotype images I will be exhibiting in the Masters in Miniature show at the Vashon Allied Arts Gallery, December 6-23.  The opening is December 6, 6-9pm. I have been exploring "Journey" and "Center" as subject for the past couple years and these small works were compositional studies for much larger Rust Prints and future oil on canvas paintings. "Transit of Venus" Monotype Print with Gold Leaf (1/1), 6x6 x1.5 in. on Panel

Last night the Vashon Island Community Meal Program, sponsored by Vashon Social Services Network held the Vashon 'Empty Bowls' fundraiser.  Vashon Island artist Liz Lewis coordinated the making and painting of each handcrafted bowl for the event. In exchange for a cash donation guests kept a bowl as a reminder of all the bowls empty of food around the world.  Above and below is one of the many bowls Liz Lewis made and that I had so much fun painting.  As a creative experience I felt inspired by the project and the challenge of painting on a three dimensional surface!

I have continued to explore rust as a medium this summer and early fall.  My "Man at Center" Rust Monotype, 30" x 30" in., mounted to wood panel, was made with an open Corten steel plate and acetate stencil.  Below is am image of the plate after the print was pulled.

‘Studios’ magazine featured four Vashon artists and their studios in its Summer  edition. My studio was chosen as the cover.  The following is how I describe my present creative space. I am a Print, Paint and Assemblage artist.  The images I make have their origin in story. The story may be personally relevant but often falls within the realm of myth.  The interpretation of myth and visual exploration of story is informed by and evolves in my approach to Monotype print.   I think of Monotype as a lively conversation of knife with paper, ink with plate, and paper and plate with press.  The exploration of these simple materials, mediums and tools provide an exciting way to discover imagery that I may subsequently interpret in the more traditional medium of oil on canvas or include as critical components of my assemblage work. In addition to my press work I am currently exploring another Monotype process utilizing mild steel plates that are composed, cut and rusted to muslin.

'Saqqara, Oil on Panel, Gold Leaf, 48x36 in. In the Greco Roman Egyptian region known as Fayum or el Faiyum, the Egyptian cult of the dead inspired unique portraits that were bound to the mummified body.  As such they became by definition objects of worship.  Each was an intimate and symbolic part of the mummy with which it was found.  The portraits were regarded not just as representations but as the immortal surrogates of the dead.  Men were identified with the god Osiris and women with the god Isis. The mummies were considered to be essential for life after death according to Egyptian rituals and the portraits were sourced in style by the naturalistic traditions of Greece. The Faiyum portraits are thought to have been painted from ‘sittings’ done during the youth of the subject and kept in the subject’s home until death, when the were placed on and bound into the mummy as the face or soul of of the deceased. The image (above) is my contemporary interpretation of a s