Printing...

I went into school today, because i thought i better make the most of the 6 days left available in the printmaking room ha!

Large Scale Monotypes
I decided that i would attempt some larger scale monotypes - to create a larger expanse of sky than just the a4 ones that most of my prints have been. I used the same technique - mixture of ink, turps and water...and squirting water on the paper prior to pressing it into the ink - this forms cloud like formations.
I made two large ones - a2 size - because that was as big as the inking block would allow me to roll out the ink. I made these on cartridge/drawing type paper. And i made four a3 size ones on good printmaking paper. It was very fun and freeing starting to make larger scale works, they just will work so much better than the smaller ones. Although i have no idea how i will get them back to New Zealand, I'll have to figure that one out.

Woodblock experiments continued...

I also continued with my woodblock experiments that i started before spring break. I started thinking about this idea of structured vs spontaneous creativity, and ive had the idea of colouring in books stuck in my head for quite some time. You can be both structured or spontaneous with them, you can be tight and neat or loose and free. The image is already provided..but you get to choose what colour to use..and whether to stay between the lines, or be daring and go over them. But then, in inspiring creativity - there is a huge difference between giving your child a colouring in book, or say a sketchpad..where they are free to completely make their own creations. And so i want to use this idea...to provide the structure in which then i can colour in. Before i was drawing the image by hand in in pen and then colouring in, but i also found that pen wasnt the best to use. And so i cut keyblocks of small hot airballoons and parachutes and printed them on top of some of my skies. Im really pleased with them, because now i have a structure to colour in, which is of good quality ink and not pen. Im not sure if woodblock is the best though because i still tend to make mistakes when cutting, and theres still a lack of detail. I think that perhaps screenprinting would be a better idea. I could draw the images, transfer them onto the screen and then print them. I shall try that when im back in NZ. But i think these work better than drawing, perhaps i will print these onto the large scale monotypes?

Thats all i managed today, because a class came in and i felt i was in the way. Also there was a powercut as well, so i decided to go home.