Success at Last.

There was a point to my marbling escapade last weekend , not only that I wanted to do more for future use but I had a project in mind. My friend is having a birthday tomorrow , darn things crop up every year....so we had a lovely lunch at a local resturant with our other friend  yesterday and a good time was had by all.

The following photos are her gift of a book I had made  which some readers may recognize. I couldn't leave it alone as not totally happy with the previous works and needed to satify the urge to improve and try to produce something close to what I had originally though of. Yes ,I am happy with it so can move on now.

Birthday Gift.

The book ends I prepared some paste paper and thumb printed it and these were also used in the cutout areas through the book.

Signed, sealed and delivered.

I enjoyed the challenge of changing an original into another acceptable piece of art work, nothing is ever "lost".

 I

Marbling Fun

I'd had the kit ordered and stored at home for quite a while, always on the back burner type of situation. So last weekend I organised myself to have a play. I would be showing my age re measuring out and converting it all and ended up with twice the amount of liquid! Anyhow it wasn't wasted as it was very handy to have a second helping after the first run.Here are the results.

This was the experimental piece.

The red is very dominate even using only small amounts of the ink, but I like the other colours peeping through.

I would love to be able to do the beautiful feathered style of marks that we see in bookends of the classics. I must allow my abstract side show somewhere though musn't I ?

A bit more colour and the red not so dominate. Now to make some books,collagraphs to use these specimens.

Mix and Match.

After the workshop on the weekend I spent my nana free day yesterday messing about in the studio as you do. Tidied up here and there eventually experimenting with two plates and colours. For an abstract it's okay and I like it.

 I don't mind which way it is turned either also I 'm learning to like the non inked solid areas, adds another dimension.

Doodles.

Back again and I went through my journals and knew I had doodles there somewhere. This time I had drawn the images first then doodled the centres. This seemed to work better for me.

Horse doodling back in 2009.

And this led to a chicken...

a couple of teapots...

and I am appreciating them and doodling more now.  However no time just now as must be off to do other things.

Creative results from a workshop

Last Sunday I attended a workshop with my monthly printing group. The basic instructions were to produce a doodle, add another image and at your own choice to disregard the outer edge or to use it. Having made nice marks from the doodle we then chose the best or favoured ones to place our image there and introduce those marks into it as a final image.We printed using the good old fashioned way with the spoon, something else I don't practise as I have the use of a friends press when I need to print or I use an old brayer at home. I used the spoon for all of these prints.
I usually use silkcut lino but was keen to try the "plastic" lino and at present I won't swap it for the silkcut as I don't much like the top layer but it is nice and smooth and you get the use of both sides.
 It is good for home printing and I was reasonably happy with the trials.
                                                        

This is Sunday's plate from the workshop and I admit to struggling with "doodling" as I don't doodle much and also had to learn how to cut this particular plate material.

My first print onto previously painted paper and folks is was a tree image but seems to have "grown" into a human form. It resembles images I had done at a ten day workshop in Yeppoon a few years ago and his theme was the figure in the landscape, well it seems to have stuck!!!

Second print but this time with a bit of chin colle which changes it again. I like this one and the technique.

My Midnight Owl....

The reverse side of the "plastic" plate and like a dog at a bone I was up till midnight last night experimenting and just needed to know what I could do.

Test print number one and happy enough with the result, oh! I also learnt to cut with a curved blade .

It's about 11.15 by now but still not ready to concede defeat so attempted intaglio inking which I have done once before and it is hard work but worth the effort though not at midnight and spoon printing.It will be a better result when printed on my friend's press but I can work with this.

More to follow on doodling.

A Wonderful Gift

I am a lucky lady to have a sister though not a practising artist but who does appreciate many forms of art which allows us to share some great experiences and conversations.A few years ago we travelled to Melbourne for Phantom of the Opera, my very first live opera so very special memories  and she has recently returned from Melbourne to see the Tutankhamen Exhibition , lucky lady.

Side view of my new toy.

In  my mail today was this wonderful gift she bought from the markets and very generously sent to me. Well haven't I  been having fun this afternoon playing which has presented me with ideas for the future so I shall endeavour to bring them to fruition soon.Now who's the lucky lady !!!!Many thanks G.

Design of the stamp and I can tell you this is as exciting as receiving a book!!Book Art Object people 

and regular followers will know about this.

Testing, testing 1.. 2.. 3....

Compact Prints Collection

Today my friend and I visited the collection at the local library which had been made possible as a travelling exhibition by the Friends of the Library group so a big thank you to them . We were talking to a staff member and she was pleased to have participating printmakers and locals as well to view it. Now we , along with three other local members have been invited  to share a half hour morning tea tomorrow .
 Each printmaker creates three prints to size , one for donation to auction and raise money , one for display and the other to randomly swap with other members.
 Umbrella Studio http://umbrella.org.au also present each of us with a cd of the collection , a very nice keepsake.

This is my print of a sculpture of a mangrove pod that had been commissioned in 2009 for the Urban Art Project along the Mackay Bluewater Trail.

A previous print submitted to the project . This was my first submission and I am trying to enter each time. It's a good way to add to my personal collection.

This is the second one I submitted and is a screenprint taken from an original drawing.

Next year will be my fourth one so I am looking for ideas at present and different techniques.