Concepts by Two

I spent time sitting at the exhibition in the local library and rather a quiet afternoon so came home to a well deserved coffee. After all I do have other art related projects to attend to and unless you are involved with creating I don't think the general public realise how much time and effort goes into even just one piece. It's not as easy as having an idea and producing it.

So here are some photos of a few on the wall.Remember there are only 12 on the wall but more in the folio.

These are two of my prints with the one on the left some might recall from a previous post. Hand pulled print , both the print and background which was an experimental session one afternoon. I liked the colours together and the subject is one of my grandsons talking to the chooks we visit weekly.

The Bird on Lacy Wing is a remodel of a favourite lino plate with a precoloured background and the bird has been printed seperately and has cutout lace wings and glued onto the paper. I liked the bird shape and felt it had a bit more use left in the plate. Please excuse the reflections as hard to photograph with large windows behind which puts them on an unusual angle too.

 

This one is my "lino sculpture" or recyled plates. I developed this to hang on my back wall when the new balcony is finished and besides I liked all the plates and I did a post about them earlier. I am looking forward to hanging it in it's home soon.

 

 

I especially like this one of Di's print. It has a  delicate and simple arrangement to it as do her drawings some with just a touch of colour for emphasis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                            

Continuation of experimenting.

Next week is exhibition time for a short week at local library.This is the finish of previous post on something special I wanted to share. It was born from our  renovation of the back deck and the cream wall of the house and I sat there looking at this wall  and wondering what I could put there then the penny dropped . What does one do with old lino plates? especially favourite ones that I had enjoyed cutting and though I don't adhere to one particular "theme" this turned out to be botanical.

I cleaned or recut each plate and chose an old drawing board to recycle as this was partly the idea, to  make use of materials just lying around.

 

 

This was my test piece.Another old lino plate glued to a board with liquid nails after the "new" plate was inked and dry.    

 

Being rather pleased with the results I went ahead with the larger piece.

 

 

The handmade stencil.

 

Inking one of the stencils.

 

 

 

Finished stencil.

 

 

 

Layout for the larger piece pre inking,stenciling and gluing to the board.

 

I tried various layouts for each plate but always came back to this one.So now I have a recycled artwork I can enjoy for years to come which doubles as decoration. Four of the prints from these plates have been exhibited in a group situation and one other was a home exercise and the leaf design was taken from woodblock workshop, yes, Jill O'Sullivans I attended earlier this year and I extended the design to one lino with a change of direction for the leaves.

Now it's time ot move onto my next project which is a collobration with the printmaking group I am a member of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                 

Collaborative printmaking

Back in January 2011 my friend and I applied to be a part of "City of the World" puzzleprint. Maria Arango Las Vegas, Nevada,USA , MCPP Puzzle Prints . (puzzleprints.blogspot.com) is the lady with the wonderful talent of pulling this amazing piece of artwork together. "City of the World" was her third puzzle print and I kept my own journal as it developed.

Those who committed themselves to do this were sent a special size and shaped block of wood which we weren't allowed to change in any way apart from carving an image of our own choice. The mysterious part was naturally we didn't know where our piece fitted in the puzzle but I found as I think others did also that the actual shape of the block influenced the image.

Unbeliveably over one hundred artists, world wide submitted a block which Maria and her happy band of helpers assembled , which to me is mindboggling when I stop to consider the process. I was so pleased and could really appreciate their efforts as I created the journal through the stages.Maria , who has a wonderful sense of humour and so easy to relate with via the web also possess a never ending energy level.

From the planning stage of the whole image, buying of materials, organising helpers etc and keeping everyone up to date on the progress just shows a little bit of her enthusiasm and her love of printmaking.

I know I am so very proud to have been a part of this wonderful project and very willing to participate again. Only two prints are in my hometown.

My small block of wood, I was very keen to start and did a trial run on the reverse to test my tools and the texture of the wood. I was slightly struck in regards to the shape of the block resembling my state of Queensland.

My drawing on paper and I also did one with shaded areas to guide me through the carving stage.

This is the block ready to be returned . Maria asked everyone to include a sheet of our local newpaper. I thought that this was a brilliant way to learn more about each person.

And here is the print, all five full size papers which made it about 2.something meters long. I have yet to frame it but I do have a hanging position for it.

The framing situation will take a while as to protect it under glass won't be a cheap exercise and I do want to preserve it as much as possible.

I know this print will provide me with pleasure for years to come as each time I view it there is always a new "something" to find. There will be many hours spent admiring other's techniques and mark making.

Life is busy experimenting.

Good afternoon readers and I apologise for not writing before this but I have been busy with family, life in general and as the heading says experimenting.

This is something one needs to do when the mood strikes  just like our other art adventures. In the end it's the results that count and the learning process as we go.

I arrived at that point I am sure you all have been at where the ideas just keep colliding with each other in your creative side versus what one must do on a daily basis. Rather frustrating until I realised that all I need to do was take a deep breath and break my thoughts down into smaller , manageable areas and move forward from there.

However hopefully I will be displaying the finished product of my endeavours at a local exhibition and at least one will be presented as  an awards entry. I am happy with a lino I am currently working on using adapted techniques in the application of the ink.
So has that tidbit piqued your interest? Pictures and explanation later after the event, I promise as don't want to preempt my own ability.

Bye for now.

Two previous experiments combined.

On April the 6th I posted" My Umbrella entry" and on May 20th I posted "A short experiment" with the idea of using the results at a later date. I liked the colours printed on the reverse of the woodblock and as  I had the Umbrella lino plate handy I printed it out to use up the yellow ink, no wasting here.
The frame is a recycled one of mine so had a new matt board cut this morning.
                                                                      

The mattboard is more of an olive green colour not so brown as it looks here. The centre print is floated and I like the two different textures.

                                                                               

Woodblock reduction:-post Jill O'Sullivan workshop.

Finally I spent the best part of yesterday cutting away probably over half of the image which I had previously used in the woodblock workshop.
Registration was my biggest concern, as it is with a lot of us I think, and out of the four prints I had run off at home by hand  I have decided there is one reasonable print.

The one "good" one. 

and one of the "others".