slightly wonky

I’m working on this new pronto plate image.  You’ll probably recognize it as a photo I posted recently.  We’ve recovered from the snow, so I can see this plant again.  I’ve finished up the magenta and cyan layers, and now am just waiting for the ink to dry so that I can do the black layer.  Here’s the progress so far:

And now I add the cyan:

Almost done!  I like it.  This is using the bigger brayer and the new paper.  I think that it is working much better than before.  I wanted to do this image, as the majority of the colors were not primary.  I’m so fascinated with how a halftone image of CMYK makes a full spectrum of color!  Sorry it’s so gray again…another overcast day.  I also added a little to this test print:

Not great.  This time, I used a litho crayon to make the plate.  This created a nice, sketchy line.  The only drawback is that I don’t think that I can clean the plate, without also cleaning off the crayon.  Hmmm.  This is unfortunate.  I’m not keen on these test prints, but it’s been helpful to learn more about the methods of pronto printing.

I’m also working on another lino print…very basic.  I’d like to get it a little farther along before I post it.  I know…I should just post it anyway.  Too bad!

This Thursday is the opening of the local “Images of Arlington” show.  It will be fun to go, I think, as I’ve never been to an opening when I have something on the wall.  I should probably have some kind of business card.  I have nothing of the sort at the moment.  Hmmm.  Maybe a handwritten card will be “casual” and “artsy”, not “ill-prepared”.

I was thinking, yet again, the other day, that I still don’t have one “look” to the work that I produce.  I know.  It’s been less than a year.  I’m just always noticing where things are still up in the air with me.  I am a bit envious of those who have found their “thing”, whatever it may be.

My first carborundum collagraph class is this Thursday night!  (before the opening, somehow…) I am excited to work on this medium, as I like it.  The prints from my last post were carborundum collagraphs, if you want to see what this type of print can look like.  I think it’s a type of printmaking that appeals to me, probably because you don’t have to spend an enormous amount of time planning.  It becomes closer to painting.  I’ve been looking at wood engravings lately.  That type of printmaking seems to take more planning that I probably would want to do.  Does anyone out there do “spontaneous” wood engraving?  Or, is that some kind of printmaking oxymoron?  Thoughts?