Inspiration and Color 1

INSPIRATION


Inspiration comes from many sources. This week I was inspired by Maria Fernandez, who teaches art to 6th graders. How lucky those kids are! She shared the 3 color reduction linocuts (easy cut) her class completed. Each student had one 3" x 3" piece of linoleum and printed it 4 times to get the kaleidoscope effect. They had to print their 3 colors from the same piece of lino on colored paper, which shows as a 4th color. They pulled editions of 3, one for the teacher and 2 for them. She said they love printmaking!

PRINTED COLOR 1

I am happy to be back in the studio and finally printing the two prints I mentioned last post. The little one, whose title may be Under the Radar (UTR) will be 10 x 8 inches. I am printing from a 12 x 9 inch piece of linoleum which allows bleed prints more easily (printing all the way to the edges.) The bigger one for the Naughty, Taboo, Just Plain Wrong (NTJPW) print exchange will be 11 x 14 inches and I am working from a 12 x 18 inch piece of lino. The bottom and two sides will be bleed prints and I will collage a solarplate etching on the top 3 inches after the linocut is finished. Taping off the top gives me a nice clean line and keeps it clean for the etching.

So after printing Color 1 on Wednesday and Friday, here is my result. Of course I just noticed that in the photo NTJPW is upside down. It IS correct on the paper. Both prints have swimmer images. The next layer will reveal a little more of the body...

Art Works and Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. I am starting this blog to talk about printmaking, and to share some of the cool sites and stories I find along the way. But primarily I want to share my printmaking journey.

I cruised through Facebook yesterday and found a link from Helen Wilson, a wonderful California artist, to a blogpost about the new head of the NEA. I was so impressed by the article that I have to share it with other artists: http://www.arts.gov/artworks/

It has made me feel hopeful and encouraged so it feels right to begin this blog with this post.

REDUCTION LINOCUTS

I am starting two new reduction linocuts and plan to document my process. This is the exciting part, after the idea is born and worked and reworked, drawn and redrawn...I am ready to cut the linoleum and print the first color. The first piece will have 6 colors and will be 10 x 8 inches.

The second piece is for a print exchange "Naughty, Taboo, Just Plain Wrong" which will have 5 colors in the reduction at 7.5 x 14 inches with a photopolymer etching collaged for an overall 11 x 14 print.


I am new to blogging so I welcome your feedback.