Cathie Bleck illustration for Poetry Magazine 100th Anniversary Cover

from Cathie's blog:

It was an honor for Cathie Bleck to be selected to do one of the covers for the 100th Anniversary issue of Poetry Magazine and especially to be the first one. Felix Sockwell, who is a fellow Drawger, already did a fabulous post and piece previously, so you might want to check out that article.

The assignment was to interpret the Pegasus in any way, shape or form as long as it could be overprinting the 100 design produced by the wonderful art director, Alex Knowlton of Winterhouse.

Here is the final piece for the project:

Cathie Bleck - "Pegasus"

Cathie Bleck - final Pegasus illustration in context

These are copies of the final piece designed by Alex Knowlton, as well as a beautiful folder with an embossing of the artwork, designed by Michael Renaud.
In there was written, "Poetry magazine presents new work by the most recognized poets, but its primary commitment is still to discover new voices. In the words of critic Adam Kirsch "Poetry Magazine has done what long seemed impossible ... it has become indispensable reading for anyone who cares about American literature".

We are so proud that Cathie had a part in highlighting such a great publication!

View more of Cathie's work

Cathie Bleck illustrates a Nestlé Cookbook

Cathie Bleck recently worked on a Nestlé piece through J. Walter Thompson, in Akron, OH. The project is a beautiful cookbook targeted at the Latino community, is beautifully printed – so well indeed that you you can feel the raised ink which feels like raised velvet highlighting the intricate line work. The cookbook has a photo pocket that each family can slip their own family photo inside on the cover.  Inside it is filled with wonderful Latin traditions which are also common to many cultures as suggested recipes and a place to write your own favorite recipes, memories and traditions.

The book exclaims on the first page:  "Traditions are like threads that weave families together, creating an extraordinary fabric of many colors"

"Celebrations We Share" is a gift from the Nestlé family to yours.  This book is meant to be a keepsake enjoyed year after year, and Nestle is proud to help your family savor these very special times together.

Cathie Bleck - Nestlé Cookbook Project

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Cathie Bleck's Krampus

Cathie Bleck's rendition of the mythical creature Krampus is yet another example of the evolution of her work. This particular piece is for a fun group show "Krampus" in Chicago at Curly Tale Fine Art, running from December 3rd, 2011 until January 31st, 2012. Other fellow artists will be joining, including our very own Chris Buzelli with his version of the beast.

Cathie Bleck - "Krampus"

Cathie Bleck - "Krampus" detail

Below are some of the very interesting references Cathie used for her piece - you can read more about the design process at Cathie's Drawger page.

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Cathie Bleck's work in the Art Tails app

Cathie Bleck contributed to the charity art application Art Tails, which benefits earthquake victims in Japan.  The app is free and available to download here.  Each work of art accompanies a heartfelt message from its creator.
Check out Cathie's contribution!

Better yet, get the app here!

View more of Cathie's work

Cathie Bleck - Dualities in large scale

Cathie Bleck never ceases to amaze us, and she's at it again...and this time on a grand scale!  She's been exploring dualities that exist in nature, and she's working on panels that are 50" x 170".  She gave us a glimpse of her work in progress, and the photos give an idea of the sheer size of the pieces...they're massive!

See below for more info in her own words... 

Cathie Bleck- Dualities

Cathie Bleck - Dualities

Cathie Bleck - Dualities, close-up

In her own words:
I began this large-scale visual journal in mid July this summer of 2011. In this project I wanted to explore the dualities that exist in nature and our evolution both past and present. Reflecting on the subject of where I left off from my Butler museum show in 2008 “Becoming Human”, and wanted to additionally explore what would happen if I introduced forms which mimicked one another. In this first set of panels an unexpected image of a giant face of a cat or lion formed in the center when they were joined. Mysteriously, the image of the tiger or lion keeps resurfacing itself intuitively in other works as well. I am hoping to have these scrolls exhibited in a museum this year.


Each panel is 50"x170" and is done on Stonehenge paper (100% cotton, acid-free buffered with calcium carbonate to help protect artwork from contaminated environments). This surface is proving to be durable and excellent with graphite, both pencils as well as powdered graphite mixed with water and additional liquid kaolin in the white areas.


The past is represented on the right panel where man has evolved rhythmically in unison with nature. The female figure sits at the bottom swallowed within the roots of the tree grasping beads, which are thought to be the first gifts of man to one another. Anthropologists believe that it was with these clay beads that man stopped killing trespassers to their territories. On the left panel, starting from the bottom reeds in the water weep below the explosions of our present time. The lone locust searches above the other locusts in search of direction. Evolving above the locust is ambiguity asking how will we evolve from this juncture as we lie in the eye of a broken world?

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What's better than a Cathie Bleck illustration?

... how about an animated Cathie Bleck illustration?
Cathie created this logo for MiShinnah Productions. The piece was then animated into this short 5 second sequence.

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Cathie Bleck illustrates 100 Years of Solitude

Cathie Bleck illustrated this book, One Hundred Years of Solitude, which is part of an ongoing best selling classics leather bound series that Barnes and Noble has been doing for over 5 years. Cathie also illustrated Dante's Divine Comedy in that same series.

Cathie worked with Jo Obarowski and Patrice Kaplan who are the star Art Directors at Barnes and Noble. Jo discovered Cathie's work at the New York Book Fair a few years ago when she saw her then new book Open Spaces (which you should also check out!)

Check out progress images and sketches from Cathie's Drawger page.

Cathie Bleck illustrates the cover of One Hundred Years of Solitude

Cathie Bleck illustrates the inside cover and opening page of One Hundred Years of Solitude

View more of Cathie's scratchboard work

Zoom into a Cathie Bleck scratchboard piece

After hearing from so many people how fascinating it is to be able to zoom into an artist's work, we decided to create a new section on our site called Details. This experimental page is to offer viewers and art lovers the opportunity to get into the artist's mind and see every single brush stroke, scratch, or other detail in select pieces of art.
The below is one of the first pieces we posted, titled Mother Nature's Son, by artist Cathie Bleck.
Click here or on the image to view the details of the piece:

Cathie Bleck - "Mother Nature's Son"

The process, as told by Cathie:
"I work on white clayboard; which is a board that has a thick coating of Kaolin clay , often making my own clay pigments. It is a relatively new art process though it's roots lie in some of mankind’s earliest attempts at creating art. The Cro-Magnons scratched pictures into rock or bone to tell their stories. As a visual storyteller my goal is to connect in this context by carving into this natural medium of clay that has been formed at the bottom of lakes. " ...continue

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Cathie Bleck illustrations for Summa Foundation

Cathie Bleck's illustration work can be found in the Summa Foundation's 2010 annual report.
We love how Cathie's very distinct black and white style contrasts so well with the red of the overall report.

Cathie Bleck - The Summa Foundation - Annual Report 2010

Cathie Bleck - The Summa Foundation - Annual Report 2010

Cathie Bleck - The Summa Foundation - Annual Report 2010

View more of Cathie's work!

Cathie Bleck's "Transformation" at the Convivum 33 Gallery

Cathie Bleck is part of an all female group show opening this Friday at Cleveland's Convivium 33 Gallery (see event details below).  Cathie's new work for the exhibition is part of a larger series titled "Transformation", which originally began as a result of observing in great detail cocoons hatching over a period of time.  The cocoon became a metaphor of inspiration honoring transformation as a natural process. In the meantime you can view more of Cathie's work here.

Cathie Bleck - detail from Triptych "Becoming"

Cathie Bleck - detail from Triptych "Becoming"

Cathie Bleck - "Becoming" triptych

CONVIVIUM 33 GALLERY, CLEVELAND, OH
Opening APRIL 1 THRU MAY 8, 2011 at St. Josephat Arts Hall
Exhibition runs through MAY 8, 2011

OPENING RECEPTION :: APRIL 1, 2011 :: 6-8PM with a special 8pm performance sneak preview of scenes from Insomnia: The Waking of Herselves by Cleveland Public Library

CLOSING RECEPTION :: MAY 8, 2011 :: 11AM-2PM :: SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH

Gallery Hours : Daily by appointment Wed, Thurs, Friday 10am-1pm, Sat, Sun 10am-2pm

Convivium 33 Gallery at St. Josephat Arts Hall
1433 East 33rd Street
Cleveland, OH
216.881.7838
http://josaphatartshall.com/

Cathie Bleck: A study in Black & White

Although Cathie Bleck is well known for her intricately detailed fine art works, she continues to create powerful yet simple works in black and white scratchboard, as well.  Her process of building upon the board with inks and clay and then scratching away at the surface with a razor sharp tool in order to create these pieces is so interesting, and it's amazing to realize the amount of work that goes into each one.

See below the images for more details on Cathie's process.  Click here to view more of Cathie's amazing work.

Cathie Bleck - "Hollister House Garden" icon

Cathie Bleck - header for The New Republic website

The following two images are from Good Earth teas packaging:

Cathie Bleck - "Mango" for Good Earth teas

Cathie Bleck - "Tiger" for  Good Earth teas

Scratchboard Process - From Cathie's website:

by Cathie Bleck:

I work on white clayboard; which is a board that has a thick coating of Kaolin clay, often making my own clay pigments. It is a relatively new art process though it's roots lie in some of mankind’s earliest attempts at creating art. The Cro-Magnons scratched pictures into rock or bone to tell their stories. As a visual storyteller my goal is to connect in this context by carving into this natural medium of clay that has been formed at the bottom of lakes.

I work on two types of scratchboard. The works on paper are manufactured in England with a cardboard base. The clay boards, invented by Charles Ewing are coated on archival masonite and manufactured by Ampersand. Both types of board provide me a surface in which I can build upon with inks and additional clay prior to scratching them away with razor sharp tools.  Recently, I have also been experimenting with the kaolin on  papyrus and handmade papers.

The process of scraping the inks off of the clay is my favorite experience in creating the piece. It is a performance that celebrates the articulation of lines. The movement of my wrist and arm are rhythmic in nature not unlike a performance of a jazz musician or a dancers fluid movement.

The first step in my process is making a preliminary drawing in chalk or graphite. I usually transfer this to my board with graphite paper under the sketch retracing the preliminary drawing with a pen. This creates an indentation in the board and graphite image to serve as a guide. Next I paint with permanent colored inks prior to scratching. My preferred tool for scraping is triangular in shape with a fine razor edge and various razors. Recently, my works are much larger in scale (30”x60”) and I have been getting beautifully crafted custom boards made by Ampersand with a birch trim cradle and back supports for stability. Upon completion of the piece I apply a coat of acrylic protective spray using the recommendation of a museum trained art restorer.

Cathie Bleck: Cover to Cover

Here's a look back at some of the amazing book covers Cathie Bleck has illustrated these past few years. The most recent is "Hurricane Dancers" and is published by MacMillan Children's Publishing Group. We love these covers and can't wait to see more!

Cathie Bleck - Cover illustration for "Hurricane Dancers"

Cathie Bleck - Cover illustration for "Tresspass"

Cathie Bleck - Cover illustration for "A Farewell to Arms"

Cathie Bleck - Cover illustration for "The Pleasures of God"

Cathie Bleck - Cover illustration for "Always Do Right"

View more of Cathie's work

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cathie Bleck - "Crazy Love"

Terri Fry Kasuba - "Grid Heart Pattern"

Elliott Golden - "Love Ultimatum"

Calef Brown

Jen Lobo - "Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove"

Joel Nakamura - "Sun Moon"

Craig LaRotonda - "Swoon"

Claudine Hellmuth - "He Was Ready"

Cathie Bleck at Zygote Press in Cleveland

On Thursday, February 10th 2011, Cathie Bleck will be demonstrating letterpress printing at Zygote Press in Cleveland. Her wood engraving called "World Transformation" (see image) is on exhibition there, and she will be showing how it was printed on the letterpress. There will also be a demo on Embossing with polymer plates.
Go check it out at Zygote Press in Cleveland starting at 7pm ... the event includes live music, Great Lakes beer, food, poetry readings, door prizes by Half Price Books and much more.

Cathie Bleck - "World Transformation" 7"x7" wood engraving on top of Embossed "Lush Valentine" artwork

View more of Cathie's work

Nifty Note Cards - 2011

The mailing of our 2011 note cards is officially complete, so keep an eye out for them!  They should be hitting mail boxes as we speak, and we're anxious to hear what you think of them.  In the meantime, here's a sneak peek:

View the other set of cards here!

Cathie Bleck Exhibition

Cathie Bleck : Exhibiting two works on paper for “Intersections” Exhibition which is a collaboration between Zygote Press and The LIT poets

The intersection between image and text :: auditory and visual in unison

Intersections Opens January 21st at Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH

Reception 6-9pm : Included evening events : Poet Readings, demonstrations and classes in conjunction with the Intersections theme.

Cathie Bleck - “Nature’s Calling” Inks, kaolin clay on Papyrus, 12”x16”

Cathie bleck - “World Transformation” Wood Engraving (carved on English Boxwood block), 8”x8”

For acquisition contact Zygote Press.
View more of Cathie's work.

TASCHEN Illustration Now...finally!

Cathie Bleck and Marco Wagner in the 2011 Taschen Illustration Now! calendar

Now that 2011 is here, I can finally start using my Illustration Now! calendar.  They were produced by TASCHEN, and feature great art by Cathie Bleck and Marco Wagner, among others.  And Cathie's piece is right here on week 1 - what a great way to start the year!

Cathie Bleck at The New Britain Museum

Cathie Bleck was included in the first exhibition featuring women artists from the permanent collection of The New Britain Museum of American Art near Hartford, CT which opens December 18th, 2010. The exhibition consists of 80 works selected from over 600 by women artists and will be on view through March 20.

Click to enlarge

WomenArtists@NewBritainMuseum
Dec. 18, 2010 - Mar. 20, 2011
Opening Reception
5:30-8 p.m., First Fri., Jan. 7, 2011

Cathie Bleck in Phantasmagoria Group Exhibition

Cathie Bleck's work is part of a group exhibition called Phantasmagoria at the Meta Gallery in Toronto. The  exhibit will be on view from July 9 to August 25, 2010.
More information here.

Cathie Bleck illustration

Cathie Bleck illustration

See more of Cathie's work.

Cathie Bleck - fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders

This poster was done for fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders. Josh Higgins, in San Diego, orchestrated this project. Cathie collaborated with Ron Cala ll on the type and color and the final product was silk-screened  in Cleveland at Zygote Press.
The piece is presently on view in a show at the World Bank Headquarters in Switzerland and in the US.

see more of Cathie's work here