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Wednesday, 4 September 2013

more thoughts .....

I have been finding time in the studio which is wonderful.  Yesterday I had to hide inside all day as we were burning off an abundance of trees which we had felled on Monday.  This meant I couldn't open any windows and yet I had planned to do some experimental work with printing/engraving.  With this in mind I decided to use the less toxic option of Charbonnel etching inks - WATER based.  My first experience with this aqua wash and I am now hooked.  Easy to wipe the plates and ever so easy to clean up all the mess.

For those of you who are printmakers, the toxic environment with oil based inks and turps cleaners is a reality.  Same for those of us who also paint with oils.  Not wonderful for the lungs.  This was only my first play but I am investigating a technique I have used successfully with small work, and am hoping to produce in a much larger working format.  You can see some of the details in these images below.  More to come once I have worked out the best way to produce the work I want and then bring images to fruition.












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18 comments:

  1. Olga Norris4 September 2013 at 16:58

    Seductive glimpses.
    Now that I am no longer going to a print studio I hope to spend time in Autumn printing in my own space and experimenting with water based inks. I shall be watching your results with interest.

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    1. susan bowers5 September 2013 at 09:24

      thanks Olga - I am hoping to make simple images like this but on a large format - approximately 40 cms x 60cms. Hopefully they will remain seductive!

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  2. Jacobus (Jack) Oudyn4 September 2013 at 20:08

    Beautiful prints Susan. Does your new water soluble ink work well with damp paper or does it tend to blur a bit? I have been experimenting myself with water sols but have this problem.

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    1. susan bowers5 September 2013 at 09:30

      Hello Jack. Thanks. These are engravings and then I have used ink. The actual prints came out crisp and clear with the black ink. No one more surprise than I was. As a traditional printmaker, I always soak my papers before printing - this posed no problem. The thing I need to watch for is that any small spot of ink on my hands after inking plates - dissolved onto the paper as I lifted it from the water bath - it dabbed right off, but obviously one needs to keep completely clean with this ink as it transfers and bleeds into paper very quickly. The background of my engravings was worked with a lot of text as mark making - from fine to heavy line, and none of it seemed to bleed. This was my first try though - I will let you know if I learn anything else relevant about the ink as I go along.

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  3. Roberta Warshaw4 September 2013 at 21:45

    Everything I use now has to be water based since I developed an allergy to oil based media. I do miss my oils but not the headaches etc.

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    1. susan bowers5 September 2013 at 09:37

      I hear about so many people swapping water based products for the waterbased ..... I am excited about exploring this further. Glad it worked for you Roberta.

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  4. layers6 September 2013 at 14:53

    I love your beautiful prints... I recently purchased a water soluble black printers ink... as I have been trying out collagraph printing but I have not tried it yet.

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    1. susan bowers8 September 2013 at 13:43

      thanks Donna .... a little touch of this is coming your way! Glad you like. I think you will be thrilled with the water soluble ink if it works as well as the Charbonnel ink. I certainly am - and will be making enquiries about different colours. So far I have black and prussian blue! A a grand start.

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  5. Velma Bolyard9 September 2013 at 03:36

    i like your marks, and am, as ever, intrigued by printmaking. i love the idea of less toxicity in the process.

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    1. susan bowers10 September 2013 at 17:54

      Thanks Velma. I think what draws me to printmaking over and above all other things - is the marks one can make. And use repeatedly. Love it. The fact that I can now print in a less toxic environment is a huge bonus.

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  6. layers15 September 2013 at 14:54

    You are right.. I did receive one of your pieces in my lovely envelope... thank you.

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  7. Trace Willans16 September 2013 at 15:18

    And I am busy experimenting with eggs. So much fun. I will put some up on the blog soon. x te

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  8. Barry17 September 2013 at 21:25

    SB - love these images. B

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  9. ersimarina17 September 2013 at 23:14

    Love the prints, I wish I could see larger views of them. Black and blue is a fine combination. There are also water-soluble oils for painting, I recently bought a few to experiment but haven't had the time for it yet. They are supposed to work exactly like traditional oils but turpentine-free.

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    1. susan bowers19 September 2013 at 16:49

      You are sooooo very welcome to drop into my Studio and have a closer peek! Any time, the door is open x

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    2. ersimarina23 September 2013 at 22:56

      Preparing to beam over right now! XX

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I appreciate your comments - thank you!