Printmaking

I've recently gone back to printmaking. This time I have decided to learn about collagraph having previously worked mostly with screenprinting.

These early pieces are working out an idea to use the quote 'O time thou must untangle this not I, 'tis too hard a knot for me to untie' from Twelfth Night, that I had chosen to use for my piece for the Oxford Scribes annual exhibition.

initial sketchbook idea

scratching into the surface of a piece of mountboard and peeling off the surface in places

using parcel tape to create shiny areas that will print clear

drawing with wood glue

the second idea concentrated on the rope knot and using the surface of the mountboard and parcel tape for the chain

first proofs

I added some texture into the background with silver foil and

the lettering was printed last using a poly photogravure plate

This was the first time I had made monotypes by working on a thin sheet of plastic and running them through the press! I'd always worked on a piece of glass and made do with rubbing the back of the paper with a roller before...

I experimented with different techniques, using the chickens for inspiration and working from photos.

I've now got my own small press!!

my first quick print using water-soluble inks and the lino from a commission

more collagraphs using lettering as inspiration:

this (above)  is a poly-photogravure print blind embossed - the original writing was done with a pipette from an old acrylic ink bottle

collagraph prints on rice paper then collaged and cut out with a bit of gold leaf too

cut and woven collagraph prints

lino print commission for an Oxford College