Ten Years of Printmaking

I belong to a group of people who love printmaking and we celebrated our tenth anniversary this year. I hadn't realised that the exhibition date was looming so fast and after the meeting in April I had to print up an image developed from at least two other plates from the last ten years and any new members could use a new image.
This was the quickest print  I have ever pulled in all these years , so little time to play with thoughts and images. I grabbed an old collagraph plate for the background, slapped some ink into it and printed that then inked up an old favourite plate of a duck in darker ink and run that off.

Only the best of the three I printed was worth a frame so once that was dry I took it to my framers and to this day the print is certainly one of my favourites. But one can't hang onto them all and as one of the members enjoyed it she offered to swap or buy it and we have yet to agree on it. I had a not for sale sticker on it as I do love to live with them for a while but common sense must prevail and I know it will go to a keen collector and printmaker.

The background was from a commission I had done a few years ago and the lino was for another exhibition in 2012, you may recognise this duck as it is the centre one which has sooo much attitude. His photo was taken when we visited Tamworth Festival a few years ago and had been resting under the trees and seemed to be giving me the "how dare you disturb us look".

Enjoy..

 

 

 

P.S I have since reprinted this in greener tones and have two there that I like as well and will possibly be included in my next project.

 

I was exceptionally pleased in it's hanging position during the exhibition as it was hung with two other lovely prints in similar colours and sizes.

Ladybug Print

Early this year I printed these Ladybugs in compact disc size which I find easy to work with at home and fun to do. I used the reduction method and I enjoy this technique, keeps the brain working  once I have decided on the image.
These are for the  Printmaking Sisters Group based in Sydney.

 

Applying the reduction method

 

Because I didn't previously cut the dots out of the first plate I cut another plate and printed a run of black and white, just because I liked the image.

 

After printing the red colour I proceeded to print the yellow  and I knew it would change the leaf colours and that is what I like about reduction.

 

 

 

While the dots picked up the green ink which turned the leaf a lovely chocolate colour I did a run of black for the dots as the final colour.

 

I was having such a good run and working with my own system I just kept printing and at the end of the day put aside to dry.

 

 

My makeshift drying rack sitting on a trolley which holds my papers and I stacked old drawing boards on top of paint tins and solved the problem as my studio isn't large.

 

Next day I  had to reduce the lino again so went ahead with that and cut the background away but when I wanted to print the final colour I thought I was short in how many I had done. Of course found them and realised I would have to just keep going and printed these minus the yellow background.

 

 

It was rather pleasing to see how images can change due to errors and I much prefer the chocolate ones, who wouldn't !! 

 

 

So whoever receives my set of prints I really do hope they make you happy.

For the leftover prints from this project and past ones I have an idea brewing to make use of them, more on that in the future.