I spend a LOT of time carving plates! this is number 6 of 7 plates I am making for the Johnston Collections' Christmas exhibition which has been inspired by their gorgeous collection of crystal jugs. My very talented friend Gabrielle Leonard Photography instagrammed these pix while we were enjoying the sunshine and girl time yesterday :-) |
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Am quite in love with the idea of Print Exchanges. You get the opportunity to create a new piece of work and perhaps test a new idea, it's in a small format which makes it very easy to pack and cheap to post, and best of all, you receive a variety of prints from the other participants - what a brilliant way to get your work out there in the world for others to see (there is usually an exhibition held of the works) AND build your own collection! So far I have been involved in the following Print Exchanges. It all started last year with Wingtip Leftovers III - so of course I couldn't resist again this year with Leftovers IV, in Boise USA, then Green Door Printmaking Studio in the UK, an exchange portfolio curated by Rona Green, Cascade International in Oregon, Animalia in NSW and looking forward to La Calaca Day of the Dead, another Green Door and who knows what else might pop up! You know, I think receiving that lovely little package of prints from somewhere else in the mail is almost as exciting as revealing a print, not to mention my mini print collection sitting at around 100 prints just for me! Here are the links to a couple of the Catalogues http://www.annieday.com.au/#!animalia-catalogue/c1dg3 http://leftoversanyone.blogspot.com.au/ Oak Hill Gallery (our community gallery space here on the Peninsula) runs a "Little Archies" portraiture competition every year. Huge excitement this year as the Real Archibald Prize is right next door at the MPRG (Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery) . This means a huge overflow of visitors for Oak Hill Gallery and for all of us exhibiting in this show - Brilliant. Oak Hill members also have portraits on show in Main St Mornington = even more vital exposure of our artworks. I also had a lovely time volunteering in the Gallery for the Archibalds on the opening weekend. It's fun to be a fly on the wall at an exhibition! Grand Jane is on show at Oak Hill Gallery
"Trial for Mr Johnston" Linocut on BFK Rives vintage paper Limited Edition of 16
Great printing and problem solving day. Made a full edition of 16 prints for the "Print People" international print exchange using a new oil based ink. Trialled an A1 print on Nellie, now all good to go on the reduction print. Oh my, oil based ink is luscious, but the clean up really is a pain in the arse. This is what I learned today :-)
I recently went to see Bea Maddock at the NGV. Interesting show, I was intrigued by her notes and quotes. This one resonated with me - I am mostly bemused by the fact that at this point in time I cannot seem to move past the very traditional black and white relief printmaking method in my work. Perhaps this is my "thing"!. "I make black and white prints because I want to go back to the beginning and because prints in black and and white are absolute: these colours express the most delicate vibrations, the most profound tranquility and unlimited profundity." Bea Maddock. Translating vintage treasures through my work constructs my imagined family history. As a migrant child, these are the everyday “Kitchenalia” I dream belonged in my Grandmothers’ and Great Aunts’ kitchens. It comforts me immensely. I recognise now that most of my work is concerned with the domestic and specifically to vintage 50's/60's Kitchenalia. Home and hearth. Recreating a family, my version of. and that is good enough reason for me to be able to keep feeding my op shop habit!!! When I am looking for things to inspire me and things that I love, I am always a bit surprised at how often the same images pop up for notice again. This gorgeous sculpture was in the grounds of the hotel and art gallery we stayed in last year in Bali - and it caught my attention again! I particularly like the shadow play.
Inking up has suddenly become a breeze with the new pot of Caligo ink which I had not used before now. Seems that coz I use vinyl tiles to carve my plates on generally, it needs an oil based ink to stick to the plate. So even though you can still clean this ink up with washing up detergent and water, it does have an oil base. Seems to work beautifully. Will save the graphics for when I start on the Silk Cut plates. Next issue is to pull more consistantly perfect plates. I think that Nellie plays best when rolling left to right so will test on next print run. I have been using a very inexpensive graphed cutting mat instead of making a base plate, easy to keep clean along with a 3 ml mdf board top board as protection and consistant pressure - and, no more base plates as the graphs resolve the need.... I find the baby wipes from Aldi simply the best thing to have in the studio - amazing for cleaning up oil paint palettes (glass palette that is) even if it has been left to dry out (oops)
Simply lay a few wipes over the offending area and leave for a little while, so much easier to scrape off the residue. Brilliant on a left over wet oil palette. And Nellie the press and I can't do without them in the print studio either! Keeping hands clean during the printing process as well as great cleanup. |
Sharron OkinesVisual Artist - printmaker, painter, inspired by the Impressionists, Expressionists, Fauvists, Henri Matisse, Burlesque, Vintage 50's & 60's, black doggies, exploring the unseen familiar, propoganda art, my domestic surrounds...... Archives
March 2018
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