Monster Mash

New Collage prints sewn together same fashion as the others. These went together alright, although they are just some of the first "drafts", I have other Monster prints that are in the process of going together. Nate and I screen printed the images on this Frabiano and heavy weight and light weight Rives paper. The image itself is taken from a 1970's era "monster movie" fan magazine. These wonderful mags were a gift from the fiance and quite inspirational in several different artistic ventures.

(Details)

Printmaker's Showcase

Here is the info for the next venue of the Printmakers Showcase, curated by Print Zero. I was fortunate enough to have my work hung amongst all these wonderful artists, so please make the trip out to check out everyones work. All pieces are for sale and in case you didn't realize, art makes a wonderful gift for that special someone in your life!! Bring your check book and make an evening of it. See you at the opening!

PRINTMAKERS SHOWCASE @ CAFE VERITE

The rotating Printmakers Showcase at Cafe Verite will consist of a dozen
Seattle printmakers. The entire spectrum of printmaking will be explored
through the techniques of etching, mezzotint, woodblock & linocuts,
monoprints, lithography, screenprints, and even cyanotypes. Some
work plays on a keen sense of wit and visual pun, others explore the urban
landscape, street art, nostalgia, mythology, society, abstraction, and even
paper bag masks.... curated by Brian Lane of Print Zero Studios.

The show will travel to each of the Café Verite locations, and we plan to
Rotate in a few new prints each month.

July – West Seattle Opening July 10th 6-9pm, up through end of July.
(corner of California & Alaska, across from Easy St. Records.)

August - Ballard

See the show online: www.flickr.com/photos/printzerostudios
Questions or for more info: printzero2@gmail.com


Participating artists:
Brian Lane
Joshua Distler
Theresa Neinas
Abraham Mong
Zachary Bohnenkamp
David Simpson
Dennis Raines
Joey Katzer
Kim Van Someren
Michael Azzano
Jennifer Bauer
Chris Rollins

My Head is Spinning...

Alright, I feel like I am going in about a million different directions and I wanted to post at least one of the things that I have been working on.

Here is a little flier for the website that I put together. I used imagery taken from a vintage Monster magazine I got for my birthday (thanks Meg) and think that in its simplicity it looks nice. I have been trying to focus on building my Photoshop skills and this started out as a little exercise with Masks. What a cool program Photoshop is... my hat goes off to the jerks who created it. Boy would I be the toothless hillbilly in a room of those engineers and programmers!

Anyway, here it is;

Let me know what you think, please leave comments if the moment grabs you. If anyone would like a copy of this to display on their personal computers' desktop background or to post on your very own website please go ahead and email me!

Thanks all, I have also been doing a lot of paintings and working on prints so I will be posting those at some point, check back!!

Azzano

Relief Mix Monotypes

Here are some new projects I have been working and I have to say, I am quite excited about these! This new series incorporates several different techniques ultimately resulting in rich, textured, collaged feeling pieces.

Here's how I did them...

These works started with the a laser engraver I have access to at work. The imagery of the insects were taken from a scanned book cover and manipulated in Adobe Illustrator. I then burnt the file, using the laser engraver, into a piece of plastic, creating essentially a relief block.

I combined this engraved block with a printed texture, taken from the Styrofoam trays used to package and sell meat. I would cut the bottom of the trays away from the sides, ink the textured suffice and then print it onto paper. The variety of different textures, layers and depth is quite profound from printing such a simple, common material.

To complete these pieces I hopped onto my fiance's new sewing machine and with a little help from her, the owners manual, and a little practice on my own, I was sowed loose pieces of paper together into larger combined pieces.

Following are detailed images, as well as full piece shots.

(full Piece - Red/Yellow)

(detail - Red)



(detail - Red)


(detail - Yellow)

(full Piece - Green)



(Detail - floral pattern)


(detail - Green)

(full Piece - Yellow)



(detail - Yellow)

These are just a few of the pieces I have been working with this process and I will be updating the blog once I have completed the others. Until next time, please let me know if you have any questions about what you are seeing...

Thanks Readers!

Azzano

Back to the ART

Alright, I feel that I have taken long enough break from posting recent art work on this here blog of mine.

Now, I have been working on several projects all at once... which you could say is my normal means of working. I am quite excited about what is coming about with some experimental pieces I have been putting together. Granted, this is nothing ground breaking or new... (it is to me though!) but I really feel like it has been a good growth indicator for my current body of work.

Woodcuts: I am consistently working on different blocks all at once, some in the drawing stages, some in the cutting stage and others still finished and waiting to be printed. I haven't had the chance to photograph all of the pieces that I have been working on, but here are a couple new ones;

Untitled
Woodcut
11"x15"
2008

Splitting Skulls
Woodcut
5.5"x12.5"
2008

In addition to these, I have several other wood cuts I am in the process of completing. On any given day, I usually have between 3-5 pieces i am working on. The Splitting Skulls I actually started working on over 6 months ago and just recently became enthusiastic about.


That is all I have for now but will be posting more recent work very soon. I am tremendously excited about the series I am currently working on and hope everyone else will be too!

Until next time,

Azzano

Printmakers Group Show

This just in!
Here are all of the specifics that I may have missed in the past. Plus, a really cool post card for you to take a look at. Hope to see you all at the opening this coming Thursday, May 1st, 2008

Printmakers Showcase

This coming month, a whole heap of printmakers... along with myself (I was fortunate enough to be included!) have a show at SomeSpace Gallery, here in Seattle. I know I have already mentioned it (just scroll down to the previous post for all the info) but I wanted to pass along SomeSpaces' link to the showcase page. You can see samples of all the artists work (all quite brilliant if I do say so myself!) and get a feel for what you will expect at the opening this coming May 1st.

http://www.somespacegallery.com/html/home.html?=main.html

Enjoy everyone, and don't forget your pocket book! Art makes a wonderful gift for that "special" someone... and at the same time you are supporting your local art scene!

Thanks.

Up Coming Show...

This coming month I am going to be in a group show of Printmakers from the Pacific Northwest. I hope you can all make your way out to the opening and if not, at least make your way by the gallery to take a look at all of the interesting work.

Here are the specifics...

Some Space // 625 1st Ave / Seattle, WA 98104 / 206 718.3104

Showing May 1st-31st, 2008

Printmakers' Showcase, curated by Daniel Carrillo

Printmakers' Showcase offers a collection of local artists with a common bond: love of the Print Arts. Artists include Michael Azzano, Jen Bauer, Morgen Bell, D.W. Burnam, Dawn Cerny, Dan Carrillo, Josh Distler, Andrea Heimer, Brian Lane, Marcie Myrick, Yoshi Nakagawa, Emily Pothast, Dennis Raines, Kristen Ramirez, James Reed, Michael Rioux, Travis Stanley, and Nate Stottrup.

Reception - Thursday, May 1st from 6-9 PM

http://www.somespacegallery.com

Again, hope you can all make it out. Until next time,

Michael

Well, I thought I would pass along the GREAT news!

Hello there dedicated blog readers! Today I wanted to make this dang blog official by updating my personal life a little. You have read about the beautiful windowless box I call my office... my experience with RATS and their devilish trickery... but I thought it high time I update with a little happier news.

Recently, my girlfriend of 5 years did me honor of saying YES upon me asking for her hand in marriage. I know what your thinking...

(aren't I presumptous?)

Well... I say, "shame on you!" I can hardly contain my excitement for the path we have embarked upon. I am proud to call Megan my finance and I know she feels the same! For those who haven't see it yet, here is the spectacular ring, delivered to us by the engagement ring fairy.

(who for future reference, charges an arm and leg in handling fees).

A beautiful ring for a gorgeous finance. This was roughly Megan's expression when I popped the question.

(We were at a nice dinner, so imagine her dressed a little more formally!).

(she is going to kill me because of this)

That is about all I have for this post dedicated readers. Please check back again soon to see the tremendous advancements our lives will surely take.

(Don't worry about emailing either, I am presuming you are congratulating us as you finish this blog... okay, go ahead and write anyway!)

The Rats have attacked!!! Yesterday morning while taking the little dog outside to do her business, I noticed that my drivers side mirror was broken off of my car. Dangling by the single wire controlling the movement of the mirror, the plastic fastener was broken and looks to have been physically assaulted. Now, I know what you are already thinking... "Some kids or transient must have been stumbling past the car, late at night and just for their own amusement hit the mirror with their hand."

Well, I say think again!... You see, I have been noticing lately that RATS have been digging holes near the foundation of our house. I know they are RATS because I set out mouse traps and the only thing that happened was the damn vermin ate the peanut butter and left the trap in tact. This is a message to all you fellow RAT sufferers in the World. There is movement in the RAT ranks, a RATolution if you will. So I am warning you, watch your stored grains, keep your cheese at safe distances and anything else that maybe pickings for our 4 legged friends (I'm being facetious there)...

(the enemy)