An Entire Day of Printing

I have just spent all of Saturday running prints from a collagraph, a drypoint on copper and some zinc-plate etchings. It was a lot of fun but very hard on the neck and shoulders! Sunday was then spent cutting double and triple mats for these prints and some other ones. It was one of those days when I measured and re-measured and two mats just wouldn't work out! I am very stubborn (determined) and kept at it and finally, after a ridiculous amount of time, I realized that I had ordered the frame sizes a bit off which was throwing me off my usual method of having an equal amount around each edge. I did get them to work at last!

Next weekend I am participating in an open studio tour as a guest artist and will be assembling a few more frames tomorrow and Tuesday and then I should be all set. All in all there will be 16 framed pieces and quite a few matted and wrapped for an art print stand. The artwork will range in size from 24" x 30" down to 9" x 10".

Here's hoping for a good turnout and a sale or two!

Organic Collagraphs

I finally finished the two 'organic' collagraphs today and matted them up ready to frame. With some advice from a good friend they have been cropped so the images don't seem to be floating around. It's amazing what you don't see when you are looking too closely at an image. Once she made the crop suggestions I instantly remembered a composition rule about having images touch or go off the edges. I just love the internet and e-mail!

Organic Collagraphs

I am calling these plates 'organic' collagraphs as they have been constructed using dried plant material. The first two, the hydrangeas and leaves, are also on organza glued to matcard. I found the organza very difficult to work with. The first time I tried rubbing the ink on with a piece of material and the second time I tried brushing it on. Neither method worked very well. The dried hydrangeas were quite flat until I tried to stick them to the plate with gel medium and matte medium at which time they decided to plump up, making them thick again. They went through the press just fine but the amount of glue needed to make them stay down then seeps out around the edges making for a sloppy looking print.

The gingko leaves were better but the stems needed a lot of glue to stay flat and the ink didn't stay on the glue resulting in the white edges which looks too messy for me. The corrugated cardboard also had the same effect.

Out of the four attempts I think I will re-work the two gingko ones with oil pastel and see what happens. The other two will get ripped up for collage material.

All being said, I won't try that method again but will attempt making a cast of the fresh flowers and leaves next time in modelling paste or plaster of paris and applying that to the plate, which will also be masonite instead of matcard as it is much sturdier.

Not a wasted effort - nothing ventured, nothing gained!

New Work

After a few weeks of putting my gardens to bed for the upcoming winter months and cutting mats and assembling frames I have started 4 new 13" square collagraph plates. I dried some leaves and flowers from the summer and am experimenting with fixing the dried materials to a matboard base along with corrugated cardboard bits, string, organza and texture using PVA glue. I have run into a few problems - my gingko leaves have some air bubbles underneath which I can't do anything about now but next time I will use PVA glue to fix them instead of heavy gel medium and cover them with wax paper and run it through my press to flatten them out. The other problem area is the hydrangea flowers which, even though dried, are too thick. I am waiting for a large amount of matte medium that I applied to dry and then I will cover them with wax paper and weight them down and then run them through the press to flatten some more.

While waiting for all this to dry I am now going to start 3 more plates in a 6" x 14" size using abstract shapes.

It is windy and raining outside today and somehow that is sparking my creativity! I will post again when all these plates are done and ready to ink up.

Monotype & Collage

I spent some time yesterday working on some monotype prints from a few weeks ago, adding colour and some collage elements. I'm not sure if I like the result so I am posting photos of 3 of them in hopes of getting some feedback.

My next project is trying to collage dried plant material onto a collagraph plate. Again, I'm not sure how this will turn out either. I dried some flowers and leaves this summer from the garden to try this with and now the test comes. I'm hoping that gel medium will stick them down and seal them and then I think if I weight the plate down for a day or so it should flatten enough. I will post again when I have something to show.

A Productive Stretch

Finally, after a long drought, some new work! The first print is the second run of Textures of Life#2 and the two leaf prints are monotypes. I also have four more leaf monotypes measuring in at 20" x 16" which will frame up nicely in a 27" x 24" frame.

Firstly, I had a lot of ink still on my glass-topped work surface left over from my last printing session which is at least 3 weeks ago! That's the beauty of the Hawthorn inks that I am using from York, U.K. - they are 'open' inks and don't dry up or skin over! Every day I intended to do some more printing but 'life' got in the way or, if I did get the time, I wasn't in the mood. Today, with a drop of linseed oil mixed in, my inks were perfect and I got my second run on plate #2 of a two-plate set done. I think I like it, but won't really know if it is a good one until it is dry and I look at it again matted up and in another room.

My foray into the monotype process took place at a friend's beautiful and spacious studio last week. We worked on gelatin plates with leaves and flowers from her garden using Speedball inks and rollers. It was a lot of fun and a fast process as well. After about 4 hours of fast-paced playing around I came away with quite a large pile of prints on Stonehenge printmaking paper as well as rice paper. As a result, I found two small ones that will frame up to 17" x 12" and four larger ones that will frame up to 27" x 24". I think they will all end up as mixed media with some additional colour added with liquid acrylic paint and some collage elements as well.

Tomorrow I am off to Pakenham and Perth to deliver new paintings to both the Three Yellow Tulips Art Shoppe and the Tay River Gallery. The weather promises to be sunny so I will bring my camera as well in hopes of catching a few interesting fall photos.

My inking table is all cleaned up and polished and ready for some more action. A few new plates have to be constructed first so that is the next project. I will try and be more productive and post again soon.

Another Day and a 'Definitely Maybe'

Well, the day was not entirely wasted. I managed to do a lot of organizing and paperwork, take care of phone calls and follow-ups, order frames, organize pick-ups and deliveries of old and new work to various locations, get some new plates cut and ready to start and touch up a print that was not quite 'there' - not quite sure if it is ready yet. Tomorrow looks clear to get some work done with no major interruptions. Now to comb the burrs out of the dog (for the third time today) and find something for dinner.

New Blog Name

I have decided that my blog needed a more relevant name - From Here to There (And Back Again) only has meaning to me personally. In attempting to sign up with Feedburner I took their advice on having a name that actually relates more to the content of the blog - it's a bit boring but all I could come up with today.

We have been inundated with skunks and racoons in the last few weeks digging up the lawn while searching for tasty grubs. My dog has been sprayed and I have been busy putting sod back in place almost every day. The installation of an underground sprinkler system, a new furnace, repairs to a deck, building of a BBQ shed has meant many extra people hovering around each day which does nothing to spark my creativity, hence, no new prints, which really ticks me off!

I am going to try, once again, today to run at least one, if I can get a few hours to myself. It's duct cleaning day - more workmen in the house. I'm getting very anxious! Please, please, please let me get in "the zone"! I should have called this entry "Crabby, Anxious Artist"!

2 More Collagraphs

Wednesday morning and two more collagraphs to consider. I am realizing that my plates need to be constructed with thinner applications of modelling paste for impressions as they are difficult to ink and wipe when they are too thick. I am starting to get a feel for the 'rubs' although I don't like using scrim and think I will try to find an alternative that isn't quite as scratchy, maybe just a soft, well worn old sheet. I am going to ink and run two more today and try that out. I am pleased with the size of these plates as they frame up into a 16" x 20" frame with a 3" mat very nicely. They do take from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours to ink up though. Back to work!

New Prints

I am posting the photographs of the two first prints from new collagraph #1. I am experimenting with adding an extender with linseed oil to my inks and then, after the intaglio wipe, using rubs. I can see there will be a lot more practice needed to get this right! The first one is too much all the same colours but I think I will add some chine colle and see what happens. The second one might be able to be saved with a little oil pastel. I will try some more prints tomorrow with some toned down colours. I am also finding that for larger collagraphs (this one is 10.5" x 14.5") I should be using a thin MDF board as mat card for larger ones won't hold up on the edges for many print runs. I am applying another coat of acrylic varnish to the edges and back of this one when it is completely dry. Tomorrow I will also do some test runs of collagraph #2 as well.

Back in the Groove

I am happy to say that I am 'back in the groove' lately and feeling much better now that I have decided to 'just do it', meaning make whatever art wants to come out and not worry about whether anyone will like it or not.

Having spent the last two days working on two new plates while listening to waves on the shore outside my window I am now ready to seal them up for printing tomorrow.

The theme seems to be the cycle and circle of life and they are collagraphs using illustration board as the support with white craft glue, heavy gel medium, modelling paste and fine sand. I am blending shellac flakes with denatured alcohol to use as a sealant. The attached photos are of the plates before sealing.

I am looking forward to 'printing day' tomorrow as I want to try out some new inking techniques.

Rainy Day Results

I finally ran three prints from the cardboard etch and collagraph two plate experiment and am posting them today. That will be the first and last cardboard etch for me - too primitive and not enough control with the lines and wiping. I will try the two plate printing again though.

I will be back to abstract images and have begun preparing 4 plates, two 10" x 14" and two 12.5" x 20". Next week will be a major plate-making and printing week as I will have the weekdays to myself!

Two-Plate Printing

I actually went into my art room today and did a test run of two plates! I don't like the result, but that's ok. I am posting two photos, one of the first cardboard etch while still in the press and the second the finished print with the collagraph added to the etch. Firstly, I don't like the cardboard etch as it doesn't wipe clean the same way as a metal etch but if that doesn't matter then it could be used. I was intending for the branches to be in the background so maybe I need to try this again with the collagraph printed first and the etched branches second. It might just be my rusty brain not thinking in the right (printmaking) order!

I will post again tomorrow - I need to keep this roll going!

Artist's Block

Time has been flashing past me as I have been in a 'blue fog' of indecision and frustration, wondering what I am doing and why. I have lost my sense of direction and am struggling with a too busy mind trying to get back on track. Panic has taken hold and I am having difficulty getting back into my studio space and starting to work again. I know that once I get in there and start to make my marks I will be able to focus and continue - it's the first step that's got me stuck!

I am even having thoughts of selling off all of my art supplies and paintings and never thinking about doing any art ever again! My artist's ego is so ridiculously fragile it is making me angry - maybe that's a good thing! I will kick my artist's bum and kick-start my artist's art-making - in this last sentence I have replaced 'could' with 'will' - I have decided that was a very good thing and am now off to my little room to get the ironing out of there and run my plates! And if they don't turn out - who cares - there's always collage!

Here's hoping (willing) the page to turn on some actual productivity just for the fun of it!

The past week was one of organization and tidying up - a routine I go through before starting a new series of artwork. Paintings were delivered and picked up from all the galleries I currently display in, supplies were restocked etc. My 'other life' (the gardener, homemaker, wife, mom) had a lot of demands to be filled as well. Many hours were spent pulling weeds, transplanting plants, stocking the fridge, freezer and cupboards for the upcoming entertaining season and the last 'job', that of painting doors and trim and washing all the windows will be done today.

All the while I have been cooking ideas in my head for new artwork. Etching has been calling to me and I am going to experiment with combining non-toxic etching with an aluminum plate and copper sulphate solution and a collagraph plate. I want to have some fine detail and the loose, abstract qualities of a collagraph together in one print. The preliminary drawing is done and Monday will be the start day. I am also feeling the need to include some realism in my plates probably influenced by all the flowers, birds and beautiful scenery which surrounds me. I'm not keen on snowscapes so the winter months are more about abstracts.

I was walking on the market in downtown Ottawa yesterday after delivering some paintings to a gallery and out of the corner of my eye I caught a familiar movement. It was a flourish of a hand that I knew so well it stopped me in my tracks. I turned and there was a face under a green baseball cap that I hadn't seen for years and was so delighted to see. Wilma Pinkus, my very first art teacher/mentor with her watercolours painting away in the crowded, bustling market scene she loves so well! The coincidence of finding her there made my day! After catching up on the last 15 years or so I was on my way with a renewed sense of joy from seeing an old friend in the total bliss of doing what she loves so well and truly living in 'the now'.

Blogging Day 1

I have decided just to jump into this blogging thing and learn on the way, which is pretty much how I do most things anyway.

The plan is for this blog to be about seeing the world through the artist's eyes, in my case recently turned 60 year old hazel eyes which, remarkably are still 20/20, with the addition of reading glasses of which I own at least 10 to be found and lost in every room of my house.

At present, I am interested in creating art from my subconscious - I enjoy the mystery of working this way and am always surprised at what ends up in front of me. It is also very interesting to get comments from viewers as each person perceives the images in their own way.

As I work intuitively and almost never have a plan when I start a new piece of art, I will post my findings on how I figure out techniques with my printmaking and mixed media works and photos of the works in progress.

I will also post any items of interest to me about art and life in the hope that someone out there will find it interesting and informative.

I look upon this blogging experience as an opportunity to grow as an artist and as a person, so here goes!