The importance of Skill

Some people say modern art is imagination with no skill. Im tending to agree. However, not only do i want my images to be imaginative, i want them to be skillful, to show excellent craftsmenship. For me this is as important as the idea itself. My choice of printmaking method always tends to relate to my concept anyway. I mean there is alot of art out there which i consider to be imaginative..but the lack of skill always puts me off. I guess this relates back to the whole art vs craft idea. And the importance of good craftsmenship.

I struggled this afternoon. I tried to layer my photopolymer image on top of the drypoints. The idea is totally there, but my skill needs to be perfected. I rushed at times, my edges didnt line up, the ink was lumpy in parts, in one print i forgot to wipe the edges, in another the paper ripped because i had soaked it too long...and so on.

Just a bad day? maybe, but i think not. To be good at something you must persevere and you must do it constantly. Im not sure i believe that practise makes perfect, but it definetly helps you to improve.

I dont expect my photopolymer prints to be perfect because i only just started learning the technique at the beginning of last year. There has been a long gap between then and now. However, photopolymer is a process that im determined to improve in over time, because i think it can produce really beautiful images when mastered, as seen in images by Rodney Fumpston and Kyla Cresswell.

I need time
I need perserverance
I need money
I need discipline

I need to go into school more thats what! But it is honestly so difficult here to get access to equipment. I cant wait to get back to Otago. I believe i will get alot more actual printmaking done there, because there is way better access(unlike here), and technicians there to help all the time (unlike here) and material is readily available (unlike here). I know the studio better.

Below are three of my experiments with layering the photopolymer over the drypoint.

The idea is definetly starting to come together. But i am not sure about using drypoint for the birds. Because it is such a time consuming process and you have to be so fiddly and perfect with it, which i totally dont think relates to the idea of gracefull, free birds. I think that drypoint would be more suited to the people, and more fluid approaches like monotype or paint would be suitable for the birds. We shall see.