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Still continues to be stylised. This time we were experimenting with two colours.
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This week we tried our hand at Chine-colle. Chine-colle is a technique in printmaking where paper of a different color or texture is adhered to the overall piece. The paper, usually in pre-cut shapes, is bonded to the heavier support paper of the print in the printmaking process. It is not just glued to the print as a collage element, it is more embossed into the paper as part of the printmaking process. Below is one Chine-colle and three dry point etching prints.     I have been taking a course with Peter McLean at the Belconnen Arts Centre on Dry Point Etching. I had so enjoyed the classes with Jo Hollier that I jumped at the chance to try my hand at it again. Peter is a very supportive tutor who has a lovely laid back attitude. It has been a pleasure to take this course. These prints are from the first week. Compared to the rest of the class my prints are much more stylized. It will be interesting to see how I progress.
I have managed to do a few more prints at home. It is the usual - not enough time.             In the first week of January I attended a five day workshop on printing. Under the expert tutelage of Jo Hollier we explore dry etching, collographs and for light relief gelli printing. It was a great week. Exhausting but fun and informative. This was something very new for me like I need another hobby. I am now definitely addicted. Now I need a printing press!  I was looking through my copies of Letter Arts Review for inspiration when I came across an article by Jerry Kelly on Lloyd Reynolds. The entire article is very interesting but I was particularly attracted by Lloyd Reynold’s idea for Weathergrams.
The idea originally came from the Japanese tradition of attaching prayer slips to trees. Lloyd thought it would be nice to write a short verse (similar to a haiku) in calligraphy about some sudden insight. This exposure to the elements would weather the verse (hence, Weathergrams) making it complete. Llyod's Weathergrams were made with kraft paper with a piece of twine attached. I wrote my sayings with waterproof black ink, for obvious reasons, on a strip cut from a brown paper bag with a piece of twine attached. Mine were about 24 cms by 6.5 cms and turned over 4 cms at the top. They have two of my favourite quotes along with with my handmade cat lino cut print at the bottom having a sleep. I gave the completed Weathergrams to my lovely friend Carol who has been such a delightful friend and a good influence this year. This is my first real attempt at putting together a number of layers of calligraphy, mixed media and art in one piece of work. It has been an interesting exercise. It requires a more adventurous spirit than I have had up to now. I am tentatively pleased with the outcome.  This book by Erin Zamrzla has 28 projects that can be made from ordinary and re purposed materials. The book I choose to make is a simple accordion book which doubles as a bookmark and a place to jot notes as you read. It is absolutely perfect for books with numerous characters like Tolstoy's War and Peace. It is also very handy if you belong to a book club making reporting to the group very easy. I have used eco-prints as a decorative feature.       The author is Mari Ono, the subtitle is 24 Unique Oriental Projects, and was published in 2011. The project that caught my eye was the Tsunokobako Box. This is a traditional origami design for holding sweets or trinkets. It is described as being so simple a small child could make it. Maybe it is because I am not a small child that I found initially it was very difficult. I made mine out of eco printed paper and then put into it some of the stones I had made when experimenting with lettering on stones. |
