Unlimited Possibilities

Unlimited Possibilities 12 X 6" acrylic on canvas 

 

It has been a strange winter here in Nova Scotia. One day we have 10 C and the next we are back into the deep freeze -27 C.  No snow just ice. People are slipping and falling like bowling pins and breaking all kinds of bones.

This morning, I was trying to catch one of our Gulf Shore bald eagle on camera, however, no luck. Every morning in the last couple of weeks, one of these amazing birds has been soaring over our roof. How lucky am I to see these birds flying or sitting on trees across the road in my neigbhourhood. I feel a strong sense of reaffirmation about myself when I see these bald eagles, with gratitude I stand by the road and look up at these majestic birds. 

Giving myself permission to explore product making for this years Farmer's market. I felt overwhelmed by working in all different mediums and needed to allow myself, one month at the time to work on different things.

It is important to give space to all our different abilities to create, in order to concur the overwhelming anxiety of the never quiet inner critic.   

In the middle of a Hot Summer!

Open water swimming in Northumberland Strait

What a beautiful morning!

Sitting out on the deck, listening to the birds doing their thing in the morning, seeing the blue water of the Strait, while holding a cup of hot green tea in my hand - I am enjoying myself!

Open water swimming however has been on the back burner for a little, never the less,I am still swimming three times a week. The jellies have been hindering a little my enjoyment. Interesting to let jellies influence this wonderful experience. I had never been stung by a jelly, that was until Friday. I swam right into ones stingers however, since I am a pool girl at heart, I am covered nearly from head to toe, except for my face and that is where the stinger got me, and they got me good! Now I know how it feels to get stung. I will still keep swimming! Grateful for having this opportunity and having the water right at my door step. 

Otherwise, my summer has been busy with giving monotype printing workshops and creating artwork for my gig at the Pugwash Farmers' Market. WOW! What a great adventure that is!

I love being there and welcoming people into my booth.

Oh my goodness, and what fun we had at my Monotype printing workshop at ArtQuarters in Pugwash.

Look for a separate FB page with videos and pics of the super artwork the participants produced.

monotype printing by Archan Knotz

using plastic bags for monotype printing with Archan Knotz

monotype printing using plastic bags

trace monotype printing by Archan Knotz

Studio Window View

Gulf Shore Feb.2018

I feel grateful for this view.

A crisp day, wind coming from the north.
The Northumberland Strait is still open, has been most of these winter month.
The ice does not stay. Interesting! Concerning?

The ground is bare, hardly any snow.

The light is beautiful.

Started the day of with a yoga practice and a sitting practice.

Change in the outer world can take my grounding away,
occupying my brain and creating barriers to be creative.

Working today on facing these demons and do it anyway!

 

Memories of Summer

Memories of Summer

 

Does he love dogs? 11x11" acrylic by Archan Knotz

The shore is starting to get colder. Two nights ago we had our first "hard" frost. The only thing left in the garden is kale. 

We have been watching the salt boats sitting, waiting for the high tide to enter Pugwash harbour. 

The evening sky displays amazing purples, reds and greys. WOW! What a gift to live by the shore.

As I walk along the shore through a little wooded area dead trees, like old bones rub against each other and are creating a cold day symphony. 

 

Loved my neoprene suit this summer

Sunset at the shore

Mary doing yoga

 

   

 

 

Monotype Printing Workshop

 

I am so pleased to inspire people to explore their creativeness.

This summer, I have ventured out to give monotype printing workshops. 

A wonderful experience!

Seeing the happy looks on peoples faces when lifting a print.

The inner child is coming out to play.

Inspiring me to explore something different in creating my monotype prints.

I am happy, if after the workshop I get a message asking questions about the material,

then I know, I have reached some who will continue encouraging their right side of their brain.

Thanks for the great experience set in a great venue!

 

ArtQuarters in Pugwash

 

Accordion Player - Trace Monotype Print

 New Artwork 

I am fortunate

to be able to show my art work.

In the last month,

I had a show

at the Art Lab in Parrsboro, NS,

and at the Fraser Cultural Centre in Tatamagouche, NS.

Parrsboro,

is creating,

or is,

a creative hub in Nova Scotia.

Not only,

do they have

the Ships Company Theater in their community,

they also,

as I understand it are attracting artist 

to emerge into their community

through teaching their skill to others,

or however they see fit being part of this

hub. 

The long term plan,

again as I understand it, is to attract  a lot of 

creative people to live and work in Parrsboro. 

What a wonderful idea!

My partner Mary

and I have taken part in some

of the activities going on in Parrsboro.

I can say,

not only is the Parrsboro surrounded by a wonderful landscape,

it is also 

inhabited by wonderful people. 

I have

become a member of the Art Lab

and had my first show there

however,

I was wondering

how the opening would be going

not knowing anybody.

I had nothing to worry about. 

Some of the Pugwash Art Collective

came and supported my venture - how wonderful! 

And I also

was received by the Parrsboro artists

with open arms.

They definitely

put their money where their mouth is

and make artists feel very welcomed. 

This is the website of the Parrsboro Creative worth checking out   

 https://www.parrsborocreative.com/

 

Trumpet Player 1 - Monotype Print

Trumpet Player 2 - Linoleum cut

Rain 1 - Linoleum cut

All artwork done by Archan Knotz

Art Production

Once a year our Pugwash Art Collective is having an art-show. We meet, we talk, laugh, and eat but finally we vote on a theme. 

Usually we write down nouns and verbs on different papers and put it together in a hat. We each draw some and read them out loud. Hopefully inspiration strikes us and we come up with a great title. This time we came up with 'Lore'!

I don't work with title's the best of times, but ' Lore'. Well, it had me stamped. Nevertheless, I set out to work. 

While listening to my favourite music I am creating new artwork.

 Recently I have started to explore with mono-prints and woodcuts. I like the intensity that woodcuts give me and the unpredictability of mono-prints. I think of myself as an artist that likes to uncover emotion hidden underneath the surface and the medium of woodcut and mono-print fulfill these requirements without me having to dissect the subject on the canvas.  

I always thought I would create more art in the winter but the opposite is true. Summer is my time to create art. My spirit sings when the sun is blazing through the window and I am sweating while cutting into the wood plate. 

 After having worked on cutting the image into a wood-plate, I do a first cut, roll ink on the wood plate and make the first print on inexpensive paper. I am examining the result and decide if I have to cut more or if I have to compensate with ink something I have cut away by accident.
 

Drawing and some cutting

First print

Woodcut plate

With the mono-prints it is different, I am still using for the first prints inexpensive paper but the mono-print is one of a kind so even though, I am doing numerous prints as a warmup at some point I will switch to better paper. For this show, I have decided to do again a print by wiping the ink of the plexiglass and printing what is left on the surface. It may be hard to understand. Let me explain in more detail. 

I have a photograph of the object I want to print. Further, I have a plexiglass plate and ink. I am mixing the ink with a slower drying medium (which makes the ink dry slower, not right away, rather than, in a couple of minutes). Then, I take tissues or cotton swabs and start wiping the ink of the plexiglass plate. Basically I am drawing with the tissues and the cotton swabs, till I feel I have the desired result. I have the paper ready and put it on top of the plexiglass plate and rub with my hands the paper so that the remaining ink prints on the paper. 

These two are done the way I decribed it up top. You can see the difference. 

In this blog I will not reveal my new artwork which will be shown starting with an opening on August 15 at the Fraser Cultural Centre in Tatamagouche at 7 pm. Hope to see you there!