Sunday, June 26, 2016

Printing Up a Storm


I'm not really sure what that means, "up a storm", but it's what my grandmother would say when someone was going at something full-force, as in, "When you were a year old, you were just talking up a storm." I wonder where that came from, and is it an idiom?

Sorry, I'm wandering off course here, or, what my husband would call, "babbling". I do understand where that one came from, and it's a metaphor. I think. I've been working really hard this week, and I guess my brain is a little fried. I seem to be able only to speak in figurative language.

Anyway, I've been making monotypes (or some would say monoprints) for two days, not counting a whole day of preparation, which consisted of rearranging my studio, cleaning off the press and the dog crates and as many surfaces as I could to dry prints on, removing lots of artwork that was stored in boxes, finding my plexiglass plates and other equipment, etc.  That was Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday I printed, without breaks, from about 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 or so in the evening, without sitting down. My back was not at all happy about it.

 My drafting table, which is usually covered with carousels full of colored pencils, pens, and other tools, was pulled away from the wall, cleaned off, and used to hold the plexiglass plate and another piece to roll out and mix ink on. This wasn't nearly enough room to do what I needed to do, but I had to make do with what I had.


 Inks have been rolled out and colors have been mixed...
 


 I used some plants in my prints, just stuff I found in the yard, mostly weeds. It took a while to clean the ink off of everything, which is always the worst part...



My press was used as a press for a change, instead of a table where junk collects...



I don't have a drying rack, so every possible surface was cleared off to be used as space to dry prints...



... including the dog crates and drawers where I keep all kinds of ephemera...


Hopefully I will be showing you some finished products soon!





10 comments:

  1. love seeing the results in the last pic !

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    1. Thanks, Mo! The prints are just starting points, as other media will be added.

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  2. I know that kind of hard work...the aching back...the moving from inking, printing and on and on...beautiful printmaking here in these photos. Even the less successful prints are special and I'm sure will be used!

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    1. Sounds like you've "been there, done that", Mary Ann. I'm using a different kind of ink than I used to, and am really not getting the results I'd like. It's a learning curve, I guess. Thanks for the encouragement!

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  3. avec une si jolie place de travail, je ne suis pas surprise des magnifiques résultats de ton art!

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    1. Thanks so much, Elfi! I do love my studio, but like everyone, I guess, I'd prefer it was a bit bigger!

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  4. hoping the beginning of this week is a calming one after last week's storminess! looking forward to seeing the prints.

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  5. hoping the beginning of this week is a calming one after last week's storminess! looking forward to seeing the prints.

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    1. I agree - hopefully no more storms! I'll be showing the prints after adding some mixed media.

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  6. your lips are pretty wonderful... and I do understand and speak... BABBLING :D

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