Filed under: printmaking | Tags: art, artist, Ink, linoleum print, print, printmaking, pronto plate, Relief print, Visual Arts
Just want to extend a very grateful “thank you” to the Arlington Center for the Arts! They had a lovely reception at the “Images of Arlington” show opening, and a nice ceremony where…I received my award! It was great to see everyone’s work…such a diversity of media, ideas, viewpoints, etc… The show is up until mid June, I think, so stop by!
This morning, I finished up a TINY linoleum print, and the pronto print that I was working on. The tiny linoleum print is a mere 1″ x 3″ (approx). So small! The darkest color was actually a layer of transparent blue…but it becomes a deep reddish/purple on top of the other colors. This photo makes it seem a little darker than it really is:
What do you think? Kind of interesting…I think that the faces turned out well, considering how tiny they really are…This was a reduction linocut, so I can’t reprint this one! I’m going to do more of these with transparent ink…
This is the finished pronto print:
I like the “vintage” feel that these prints have. I think that printing on this new paper is also better. In addition, I bought some “anti-skin” spray for my inks. This stuff is AMAZING. Normally, this ink will dry and form a tough, chewy skin on it, which has to be removed. This is messy, frustrating, and wastes a ton of ink. This happens, even if you cover the ink with wax paper, etc., in the can. But this spray somehow works miracles, and keeps the ink soft. I love it! Everyone should go out and buy some!
I had my first carborundum class with Christiane Lippeveld. She does amazing work. We created some plates, which need to dry to print for next week. I think that I may try to get some more plexi and make some plates on my own.
Also, I have made several more TINY plates. I will try to print them tomorrow. If they turn out reasonably well…I’ll hopefully have photos to post. Bonne nuit!
Filed under: printmaking | Tags: art, artist, collagraph, Ink, print, printmaking, pronto plate, visual art
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?
Filed under: printmaking | Tags: art, artist, collagraph, lithography, print, printmaking, pronto plate, visual art
So, I received a phonecall today, telling me that one of my prints in the local show has won an award! Seriously!!! I was so thrilled. Here it is:
I’m really happy, as I’m just a novice in pronto printing…but I did this anyway, and the judges liked it. I’ve been working on my technique a bit more, and I think that I’m going to be able to produce better results. I’ve only started another one, but I think that it’s going better:
Sorry it’s so grey…it’s very overcast today. (We’re supposed to have SNOW tomorrow! WHAT?) Anyway, I bought a bigger brayer, which I think has helped. I am also working on new paper, which I think is also helping. Of course, I’ve only done the first color out our four, so we’ll see when I get the rest on there…but so far, I feel that it’s going better.
This is a little sketch that I work on, when I’ve finished printing something more involved, like the print above:
It’s just two colors right now, but I’m going to keep adding to it.
I’ve been SUPER FRUSTRATED with a lino print that I’m working on. I can hardly bear to show it to you, as it’s turning out so horribly. It’s just the first layer, so bear with me here:
You have no idea how many times I have tried to print this. I’ve tried different paper…different ink…it always turns out blotchy. I’d like to think that I could do lino prints without a press, but I’m starting to feel that this isn’t true. IF ANYONE OUT THERE SUCCESSFULLY PRINTS LINOCUTS BY HAND BURNISHING, PLEASE HELP! What paper do you use? What ink? How do you not get blotchy/unprinted areas? I think that if I was working on an image that was mostly carved, it would probably be ok. But this one is mostly solid, and it’s just proving to be a pain.
I prepared two carborundum plates for tomorrow’s class. I think that they’re kind of neat, so we’ll see how they print!
I have a slight dilemma for next week. The official opening of the art show is next thursday, which is the same night as my first carborundum collagraph class. Egads. I have to figure out which to do, as I can’t do both very well. I may go to the class for an hour, then head over to the opening. It’s my first award, so I kind of feel like I should go…I don’t want them to think that I’m blasé about it!
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., painting, printmaking | Tags: art, india ink, Ink, lithography, painting, pinecone, printmaking, pronto plate, Visual Arts, winter
Today, an odd thing occurred…I was driving along the highway, and, for a brief minute or two, there was sunshine. But this didn’t look like winter sunshine. It looked like spring/summer sunshine. I actually had a momentary feeling of it being summer. HOW BIZARRE. I’m sure that you know what I mean…there is just a feeling associated with each season. It was so strange to have that feeling of summer for a minute or two, in spite of the fact that it’s February and we’re up to our armpits in snow. It was like a deja vu: “Oh…this is so familiar, yet weird…” I know. Just keep my eyes on the road and pay attention! But still…it was SO nice! I wish that it didn’t disappear…
Well, I’m still experimenting. I’m starting to feel that I need to work on something “bigger”. Everything that I do has just been little sketches. Perhaps I need to try to tackle something…MORE. Who knows what that means. Can one get loopy from the smell of ink? gum arabic? banana bread? (I made some yesterday).
Here are some of my latest sketches. I’m trying to think of things to potentially make a solar plate from. The black and white ink sketches are some thoughts. The color image is my first pronto print at home! Yay! It sort of worked! It’s one of those procedures that is a bit temperamental. The first few prints went well…then for some reason, things started to not work well. The ink wouldn’t stick to the plate, so that later prints are more faint. Sigh. Well, not bad for my first at-home attempt.
Did anyone else see that sunshine today? It was hovering over route 95 in Waltham…
slightly wonky 
