3d Art Exchange Project (Part 3)

As I had already made these circular monoprint backgrounds I wondered about using them as a basis for the house forms?.   I retrieved some high resolution jpegs and gave them a 'try out' on the computer screen using Photoshop.  But ~ I thought nah..... doesn't really do anything much for me.  I think I then  left it for a few days   A couple of nights later as I was  lying in bed, going off to sleep, I had this idea of making an embossed house with shapes of animals and creatures and maybe objects associated with aspects of just `'being" in your own space; in a place where only you could go.

I was thinking along the lines of a 'house of the soul' or 'of dreams'.    That  idea appealed to me,  in that,  the figurative elements, so to speak,  would only be suggested given the nature of embossed images.    I had always liked the idea of making some artwork using this process and it struck me that given that it would be a 3d form then it would be easier to see the emboss.  I thought that I might incorporate a botanical form alluding to the idea of growth and gardens   I also liked the idea of the animal like spirits.  

As with all of my house forms there would be  no door in or out of this space as the idea is that it represents a place of rest or meditation and of privacy.

Maybe I would be a spider’s web, as a metaphor for one to spin a story or a dream and  even a chair to rest one’s self on, as one contemplates…………………………..

 

But no it was going to be the emboss house forms I thought to myself.  So using Hahnemuhle or what is sometimes called German etching paper I did some tests with various  animal shapes cut from polypropylene. The first emboss house here is  test trying out  various shapes - thought to myself better not include a cross as it might not appeal to a non Christian.  The rabbit didn't look so good either.

I also tried some shapes cut from other materials e.g.,  linoleum and card but I preferred the polypropylene.  These last two images of single house forms show the final house form  showing each side.  It reminded me of ice cream and of Aran jumpers!!  The final shot shows all of the houses together which of course I send flat packed to the Four Oceans address in USA. I have not yet received my ten items by return but they should turn up sometime within the next couple of months and I will then load them up to my main website in their own portfolio with a link here from the blog.

Recent finds, Printmaker from Finland

Came across Cata's work in the past few months and I really like how she has combined drypoint and monotype.

http://www.cata-ahlback.fi/

related website of Finnish printmakers

 http://www.vaasantaidegraafikot.fi/jasenet.htm

 also

 http://www.turun-taidegraafikot.fi/info_engl.html

3d Art Exchange Project (part 2)

What you see here is a sheet which shows various image compositions for a 3d house template which I decided to try to make using the tetra cartons which I had been saving from my cranberry juice breakfast drink.  I had tried these out for making single images to use as figurative elements previously.  I cant remember whether I have posted any on this blog but will check later.  I love the effect that one gets with these, it is unique to this material.  They have a kind of softness to them and the great thing is that you can scribe straight into them you don't need to prepare them other than clean the fruit juice off and make sure they are dry.

I used a drypoint tool and an etching needle to scribe the lines into the tetra carton.  I had previously made a blank of the house form to make sure the size and proportions were  correct and fitted together OK.    I seem to remember the first proof of the template came out horrible because the grey tone left by the black ink just didn't look good to me.

The one in the photo (second last from bottom) has been wiped with enormous pressure to get rid of the grey tone but I still wasn't happy.  So Idid another proof using warm red.
I didn't worry too much about the tone on this proof as its appearance to me added another quality to the house that I cant explain - it just looked good to me.

Then I had this thought -- uh uh I don't think this 'plate' will hold up to ten printings through the press I don't think it has the stamina - it will surely fall apart.  Drat and Blast !!  I liked it though and still do.  Oh well !! La dee dah !!

3D Art Exchange Project ; Four Oceans Press

I signed up for this project with Four Oceans press,  a while back and went through various ideas before I eventually made the final decision as to what I would submit as my ten items.  All that was necessary were that these 10 items were made by fine artists.  Stipulated additionally was that they were three dimensional and sufficiently identical, to be considered an edition.

At the beginning I was thinking that I might use some of these white plastic bottles to make something with but having fiddled about with them before and briefly once more I thought NO ...I will make something using printmaking techniques and create  a 3D object.

Another idea I had in my head for ages was that of making a house out of sky.......YES  that is, using photographs of the sky.  Then I thought to myself  "oh goodness how am I going to be able to take photographs of sufficiently good quality given my difficulty with standing with a crutch and holding a camera and so on."

Anyway it was probably while I was blathering about this that the lovely C. must have nipped out the back garden and taken six lovely photographs of the sky and clouds for me.  Having been subject to this act of  kindness the photos took on a more significant resonance and I was driven to then upload the photos onto my computer and fiddle about with them using Photoshop.   I couldn't use them with their "as is" color,  because I'm afraid that the sky in Dunfermline wasn't that blue but the basics were there.

I tried out the water color filter and then the 'accented brushstrokes' as well as the 'find outlines' but I don't now......... I just wasn't that sure.  Then I did some 'curving',  making animals shapes ( which you can see more clearly if you click on image 4 )  and so on.
That effect,  I kind of liked.

Finally I printed it out and constructed the wee house.  So that was one possibility maybe and of course I could print over that using e.g.,  figures made on an etching plate.  Well maybe I wasn't that sure yet.

Making Miniprints 5

From an old collagraph cut away millboard.... to two copper plates.   One monoprinted using KitKat foil scrunched up and the second with a polymer image on,  made from a positive using  tusche wash on true grain (textured acetate).  This having been  exposed  on an ultra violet light box /photo etch.

I wasn't too happy with the blue on white so then tried it in warm indian yellow.  Additionally there were 'gaps' in the web image so I had to fix those up.  With this yellow proof I additionally surface rolled it.

I had this little plate from a while back which I also considered.  It was made by scribing into a green Toray plate so it's either an engraving or maybe a kind of drypoint although I tend to think it's the former as there was no burr.  

The image with the plate which has had adhesive blown around it using drink straws and then had carborundum sprinkled upon it was also made and considered but I didn't even get as far as proofing it because by then I was thinking that I would have to really use photo etch to be getting anywhere satisfactory.  The accompanying difficulty with getting anywhere as far as this miniprint was concerned was to do with the imagery I was using.
I needed it to be something that mattered tome .  To be something that had some significance.  I suppose because I had done that proof of the web on the mill board.

I remembered that last year or before that even when I was doing some tests I had made a small photo etch on copper, of a spiders web that I liked so I had a look around and finally located it.   Took a black and white  proof.  Then decided to do one in green.  It was the correct size i.e., 10 x 10 cm and I was thinking I could block the lines other that the web itself using acrylic etch and possible cover that area  with carborundum.

 But then while I was looking around for that little plate I came upon an even smaller one which was I think about 10 cm by about 7 cm.  My chum Tatiana was here at the time while I was at this stage and I was saying to her how I would really have liked to use this polymer positive but it wasn't large enough.

Tia suggested  making another wee  plate for the remaining 3 cm by 10 cm.      I always say two minds are better than one so that was it I knew I was off then.

I had another plate cut by Bill our wonderful technician using the exact same plate which was a piece of Negjet zinc which I have had for years.  Its gorgeous to work on that and copper are my two favorite surfaces for any kind of etching or polymer photo work.

Making Miniprints 4

Using the dog and figure images I then tried out a plate I had which had a layer of polyurethane on it by scribing into it and removing the dog image whilst leaving the figure as a line.  Gosh I was so frustrated by the size limitations and the dog kind of ended up almost looking like a frog !!



I tried one other where I just made a template with  the top part of a figure removed and then I painted tat area with acrylic etch ground.  Then I sprinkled on some fine carborundum.
When that area had dried I applied another layer of acrylic ground and then sprinkled on some more fine carborundum.  I was reasonably pleased with that proof but didn't take it any further.

Making Miniprints 3

A couple of other things I tried out were drypoint on propylene and scribing into Lascaux acrylic hard ground to use in a collagraph.  I had 2 or three images of a human and a dog which I quite liked and thought I would see how they looked.  With the  propylene I used a diamond tip  drypoint tool as I prefer it to the carbide tip and think it gives a better line.

I found that I could get a finer line by applying a layer of the Lascaux acrylic hard ground to the thin sheet of aluminium that I had.   I applied this with a pro arte brush which is soft, a bit like a watercolour brush but somewhat firmer.  You need to apply that to the plate in a couple of thin layers in opposing directions.  It only takes about 15 mins to dry.  I have never measured the exact time as I usually do something else while its taking place.

Making Miniprints 2

Following on from the earlier post re making miniprints. I had a small collagraph plate from ages ago that happened to fit(almost) the size of 10 x 10 cm so I 'trimmed it down and tried it out on the inkjet print out just to see how it would look. First I took a proof just to get an idea of how it looked.

Not that great, as far as I was concerned.  as the lines around the 'head' area were a bit of a mess.

So I added some carborundum to make the area darker and make the 'head area' more prominent.  I actually can not remember how I did this or what I used but it still did not look satisfactory - either on the proof on white paper or on the inkjet itself.

The original was made using PVA and plaster powder I seem to remember and the plate became ever so thick and clumpy.  I certainly wouldn't make it that way now but I think it was an early plate.

So that was that.

And So this is Christmas

and what have you done ....another year over and a new one........not yet begun...I have finally found some time to update my blog as its way way behind with stuff I have been doing never mind stuff I have come across or discovered books I have been reading and so on.

One of the things that is on right now is an exhibition of prints selected from an international submission by contemporary printmakers.

International Printmaking in New Zealand   

Exhibition at Art at Wharepuke, from December 20th (2009) to January 25th (2010) The works in this exhibition were selected from an open submission  and  its aim is to present a perspective on Current processes and concerns within printmaking practice today.   Fifteen artists works are included ( three of which I submitted) representing eight different countries. The venue is open from 9am to dusk every day.   IMAGES- I dont know who these works are buy but Mark graver, who is the director of AAWharepuke,  tells me there will be documentation of the works on their website soon.   I think one of these might be by Sandy Sykes?! Art at Wharepuke 190 Kerikeri Road Kerikeri 0230 New Zealand.

I just checked out my hunch about the red orange andd green print and YES the piece is by Sandy Sykes check out her website to see lots more works.