Tuesday morning of this week I was able to have some time with my friend Steph in her gorgeous bush hidden studio to have a play with wood prints. Both of us are working on projects to do with our land in various ways and have been keen to use marks from trees that have been felled on our properties over the years. I am keen to use these marking as overlays for etchings I am in the process of compiling to do with 'My Place' - Steve's and my acreage. I am working toward doing about seven metres of printing with overlays which will then wrap around a corner of our living area. This is all still in my head though much of the work I have been working on in the last little while has been a preparation for the kinds of marks I am wanting to make and use in this body of work. I anticipate this project taking the best part of a year to complete so am in no rush.
This piece of fence post had been prepared by Steph by the time I got there. |
I brought along a piece of laminated pine which I thought would be fun to play with. |
The two photographed together and looking the best they did all day! |
Which it did - image on the left, and so I did a few more overlay prints to try and make it more interesting. Which it wasn't! |
This was my first pull from Steph's block and you can see my bad rubbing techniques (novice that I am). |
Some over printing which looked way more interesting. What I actually really love is the very delicate marks of the timber which reveal as fine white line. |
I like the softness of this edge - and you can see a few of my marks on that bottom edge. |
Because we were working with water soluble ink, and given that I did not like the graphic pine prints at all, I decided to spray some water on the print and mess it up a little. |
I see much potential here for experimentation. |
I like this result and will work on making whole images like this. |
H S - well it looks like you and Steph had a lot of fun; and some delicious outcomes - some beautiful marks. You are so on to a great technique. B
ReplyDeletethanks Barry. I think there is enough here to excite and drive me forward.
Deleteagree with barry. the images are quite lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks you Velma - I am looking forward to seeing where I can take these images.
DeleteThese are great, beautiful marks
ReplyDeleteWhen all is said and done, nature really does produce the best of all marks. We just try to copy ..... and have fun along the way.
DeleteFascinating - especially your experiments with water. Lovely effects. You probably know of the prints and work generally of Bryan Nash Gill: http://www.bryannashgill.com/gallery.html
ReplyDeleteWhat a great exploration - I love that you doing something unique and totally your own. I agree with you about those soft marks - sure to lead to something wonderful!
ReplyDeletethanks Sharmon ......I sure hope they lead me somewhere wonderful.
DeleteI do know the work of Bryan Nash Gill - in fact last week his Woodcut book which I had ordered arrived. My friend Ann Symes had sent me an article from a Printmaking magazine about woodcuts and his name was mentioned ..... research went on from there. I have worked out that for me, just getting the clarification of tree growth and design as he does so perfecto with his prints, is not for me. But using those techniques, I am trying to push in a different direction.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
ReplyDelete