tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195340502008-05-10T20:31:34.986-07:00Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-44047687173950189492008-05-10T20:31:00.000-07:002008-05-10T20:31:35.059-07:00

7 Extinction Events ©2006, 7 x 7 x 3 inches. This book is about the extinction of the dinosaurs, but also about my own personal extinction. It's the one that matters the most to me. 7 Extinction Events I have always thought a lot about death. As I get older, it gets more real to me, and makes a bigger appearance in my art. I wonder where we came from before we were born, and where we go when

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-39060616044802117352008-05-09T14:21:00.000-07:002008-05-09T10:05:18.582-07:00

Dream Focusing Device, ©2007, 8 x 5.5 x 6 inches I would love to have tools to solve the problems in life that are so vexing. How can I remember more dreams? How does the moon work anyway? Wouldn't it be nice if there was an instruction manual for all of life? Why are we here? You can look it up in the index. Instruction Manual for the Moon II, ©2005, 2.75 x 3 x 2.5 inches. Instruction

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-78456862796877116392008-04-29T20:57:00.000-07:002008-04-29T20:58:48.045-07:00

This is part of a series on my sources of inspirations. There is an index here. These posts are greatly expanded from my 8 minute talk for the Conceptually Bound show. Sometimes the text taken from books and titles of articles will spark the idea for a book. I find it pays to keep a collection of these phrases, both as inspiration and possible book titles. Comet Found, ©1987, 2-3/8 x 3-1/2 x

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-56561106512254199012008-04-28T08:55:00.000-07:002008-04-28T08:51:54.405-07:00

This is part of a series on my sources of inspirations. There is an index here. These posts are greatly expanded from my 8 minute talk for the Conceptually Bound show. zero to twelve, ©2007 4 x 2.5 x 3.5 inches (closed). There are so many things I remember fondly from my childhood. Many of them seem to have informed my art-making urges. I have always treasured things I find, on the street or

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-73306965453522198972008-04-26T19:02:00.000-07:002008-04-26T18:58:30.093-07:00

I keep thinking of more I should have included in the last post. How did I compress this into 8 minutes for the original talk? Many of my ideas about creativity come from a class I took years ago with Jacqueline Thurston at San Jose State. She's very good at helping artists find their own personal imagery. The Findings of the Expedition to an Unknown Land by Ludmilla Paulsdotter ©2005, 8 x 7 x

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-83625191039221022992008-04-16T17:31:00.000-07:002008-04-20T19:32:22.256-07:00

Sometimes people say to me "I'd like to get inside your head for a day, how do you get your ideas?" My 8 minute talk for Conceptually Bound 3 tried to answer that question. I have greatly expanded it into 5 blog posts. Each post deals with one way I find inspiration. Most of the books I use to illustrate these posts were included in the two CB shows I have participated in. The exceptions are Bear

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-11648124487682957242008-04-12T03:41:00.000-07:002008-04-13T20:33:39.605-07:00

Last night I went to the Mohr Gallery for the panel talk and opening for Conceptually Bound 3. Each artist determined the subject of their talk. We each had 8 minutes. Slides were projected on a screen. There must have been 35 or 40 people in the audience. Nanette Wylde, the curator, talked a little about the series of CB exhibitions. "The theme, Conceptually Bound, refers to the idea that the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-85250876049366287302008-04-07T17:00:00.000-07:002008-04-08T08:02:19.363-07:00

Ancient Book from the Zymoglyphic Museum collection. "The text of the book is only found in the natural patterns of the creases, folds, and patterns in its pages." I'm taking a break from my usual Open Studios exhibit this year. However, the Zymoglyphic Museum will be open for two days, Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th. I will probably be hanging out in the museum forecourt for most of the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-5267330616772003902008-04-04T16:13:00.000-07:002008-04-04T16:49:49.558-07:00

Zero to 12, Judith Hoffman, 2007 I will have work in Conceptually Bound 3, in the Mohr Gallery at The Community School of Music and Art in Mountain View, California. The show runs from April 1 to May 25 2008. There will be a reception & panel discussion Friday, April 11, 6 - 8 pm. The panel includes: Lark Burkhart, Kent Manske, Melissa Kaup-Augustine, Peng-Peng Wang, Nanette Wylde, and myself.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-80727997169046802182008-03-29T11:16:00.000-07:002008-03-29T11:13:28.848-07:00

These are through-the-viewfinder photos of The Quiet Parlor of the Fishes, in the Zymoglyphic Museum. I think as photos they are "okay," but the subject matter and the atmosphere help make them interesting. This one benefits from both dust on the viewfinder of the Kodak Duaflex and dust on the terrarium itself. It's flaw is that the most interesting part is almost dead center. I took these

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-82808401811739484192008-03-11T10:00:00.000-07:002008-03-11T09:57:21.849-07:00

Here is an uncropped, straight from my camera, through-the-viewfinder photo. You can see where light leaks through between the camera body and the chimney. When I took this photo I hadn't made the little ring that keeps my camera level, so I need to both straighten the image above and crop a lot. Since taking this photo I put a little ring on the top of my chimney to hold my camera level.

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-74796877584902297302008-03-04T14:25:00.000-08:002008-03-04T15:30:38.632-08:00

In Portland this past fall I found this wonderful little Coptic carved stone icon. The recesses for the doors are about 3/8 inch deep. This is one side, the doors open, see below. I think this would make a fantastic book structure. I do plan to copy the format at some point. Some artist friends came to visit this weekend. There was a lot of talk about where inspiration comes from. One of them

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-80781141278984980022008-02-23T16:05:00.000-08:002008-03-12T13:38:05.979-07:00

One of my first ttv photos. Ttv stands for through the viewfinder photography, my new distraction. You take an old camera with a large viewfinder and focus your digital camera on the surface of the viewfinder. Some fiddling must be done to figure out the right distance. Russ Morris's tutorial and the discussion page of the flickr group through the viewfinder will be helpful. These photos of my

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-23660205366450356902008-02-16T08:15:00.000-08:002008-02-16T08:12:24.038-08:00

While making Bear With Me, I made some mistakes and changed my mind about what to include. I also made some tests to see how I would like a certain effect. So I had a lot of pages or pieces of collage parts that didn't go into the book. I hate to just toss these leftovers. If I add them to my stash of collage material, they often don't get used. Occasionally I make postcards or greeting cards

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-86205575632733117642008-02-09T10:44:00.000-08:002008-03-09T20:23:06.758-07:00

Bear With Me, ©2008, 5.5 x 4.5 x 1.5 (closed). Museum board, topo maps, collage, photos, handcarved rubber stamps, handcarved pencil eraser font, transfers, memories, dreams. Wire edge binding. More photos of Bear With Me here. This book started as a quick project to do over the Christmas holidays. I wanted it to be fast, reproducible as black and white photocopies and very cheap. I planned to

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-52713901721572252232008-01-01T16:12:00.000-08:002008-03-10T20:21:41.230-07:00

I like to start the new year by watching the sun come up on the first day. It's a time to reflect and feel connected with the natural world. The sunrise this year was not dramatic. But the sky was clear and peaceful. Let's hope it's a sign. 2007 turned out to be a very tough year for us. It's looking like 2008 might be just as difficult. My only resolution is to try to find more inner peace so I

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-16102663684911901742007-12-27T10:18:00.000-08:002008-02-16T08:56:55.056-08:00

This was my Christmas card for my family this year. I made it from photos of our 2005 Christmas, mostly taken by my son. There were several rules I tried to follow: include at least two photos of everyone, include random shots from walks, and field trips, no page should have just one photo. Oh, and I culled out the most unflattering photos. I think my sisters will thank me for that. It's all

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-54428377041772024002007-12-20T12:59:00.000-08:002008-02-16T14:49:16.515-08:00

Ursa Major, Staedtler MasterCarve carving block, image is 3 x 4 inches. This is the most complicated eraser carving I have done. I ground the point of a large needle flat and polished it to make a small carving tool for the detail around the stars and the eye. You can a larger version on my flickr page. Searching the web to find stars charts to use for this carving was fascinating. The

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-58035116570153025552007-12-16T19:31:00.000-08:002008-02-16T14:51:04.387-08:00

I am working on a book and needed a bear, so I carved the one above. He was traced from a photo with a 2B pencil and transfered directly to the carving block. I like the stray marks a lot in this one. I keep fussing over this, probably because it is from a favorite photo, taken by my son two years ago at a family Christmas. The arm is terrible, so I started another. I thought I would like

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-52007317603369172952007-12-09T14:31:00.001-08:002008-02-16T14:53:03.129-08:00

My husband received this Tatebanko made by "It's a Beautiful Day" in his office gift exchange. On their "about" page you can see more images. Here is one of the pages - they are very attractive before they're cut out. A definition from Osaka Prints: "tatebanko-e: "Standing printing-block models," a paper-craft hobby featuring three-dimensional constructions made from woodblock prints. The

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-73061522175220999262007-11-23T20:49:00.000-08:002008-02-16T15:53:07.080-08:00

Enlarge Years ago I had a neighbor who made these occasionally, and passed them out to anyone who wanted one. Another neighbor, a childhood friend of his, said that he was "shell shocked" in WWII. Unfortunately she intercepted them when she could because they embarrassed her. Of course I found them so wonderful. I blacked out all family names. Enlarge

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-261702331131529562007-10-31T12:28:00.000-07:002008-02-16T14:58:52.669-08:00

Above: The Distance of the Moon, ©1990, 2 x 3-3/4 x 1-3/4 inches, brass, silver, formica, copper. This little book is based on a story in "Cosmic Comics" by Italo Calvino, my all time favorite book. Recently I added a "what's new" page to my web site. I've added pages for 7 Extinction Events and The Distance of the Moon. Also added many new links and updated the old ones. When I did the

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-1677827544190401532007-10-24T17:05:00.000-07:002008-02-16T15:13:34.118-08:00

I was browsing around Flickr the other day and came across magnifik 2.0's kidz lab pinhole camera set. I found this on the internet and it came today. Here are the parts. The white arrow points to the little springs that work the shutter. They sent a spare. This was the hardest part to assemble. I found the spring a little flimsy. It didn't make the shutter snap up all the way, allowing light

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-41827068997694667722007-10-23T12:58:00.000-07:002008-02-16T08:58:09.982-08:00

As usual, I didn't see everything, not nearly. But I enjoyed the day. I did get to the PodPost table to make a purchase, bought a wonderful book from Joanne Wilson, and some papers from Nancy Welch, the author of Creative Paper Art. I also bought some cards from someone whose name escapes me. I have the receipt, but there isn't any name on it. Hopefully the cards will show up. Every time I left

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19534050.post-2417123275129043952007-10-11T04:31:00.000-07:002008-02-16T08:59:31.622-08:00

Another partially finished project, finally done. My son gave me two teeth 5 or 6 years ago. The deal was that I would make him something with one of them, and I can keep the other tooth. This is the first completed project. I'll probably keep it around for a few years, enter it in some shows, and then offer it to him. I don't have any more toothy plans right now, but I'm sure some ideas will

Judith Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04068951492456665446noreply@blogger.com