Being an Artist Archives - Page 28 of 47

by Marja-Leena

another print

Some time back, I presented a little show-and-tell on how I proof my prints before printing the whole edition, a standard practise for printmakers. I’ve mentioned that I’m working on a series of archival inkjet prints based on manipulated photographs of rocks (taken last summer), with collagraphs printed over them. A number of readers expressed great interest in seeing the process and have been asking me to show more. I showed these collagraphs, but forgot to take the camera on the day I printed that edition. Heavy beast that it is, yesterday I did make a point of taking it along.

First I did a trial print (above) of this collagraph on plain white paper to get a feeling for the right inking and wiping technique as well as the best consistency of black ink. Happy with that, I printed it on an inkjet print on inexpensive proofing paper. Notice that I’ve wiped the ink more cleanly to allow for more transparency. I was very excited and pleased with the result (below). Then I moved on to the editioning, printing the collagraph on the archival inkjet prints that I’d printed some time back. All went well, looking even better than this proof, being on superior paper. I wish everyday in the studio was as successful!

I hope to make one more collagraph for one more inkjet print to complete this group. Once that’s been editioned, dried and documented, I will setup the camera on a tripod and take some GOOD photographs. Watch for them here in two or three weeks!

March 17, 2007 in Being an Artist, Digital printmaking, Printmaking by Marja-Leena 11 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

venation

March 15, 2007 in Being an Artist, Nature, Photoworks by Marja-Leena 7 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

fevered

foggy
feverish
fluey*
phooey!**
Tuesday’s garden therapy didn’t succeed in averting incipient signs of illness, a cold/flu that’s been going around in our family. I’m frustrated with the delay in completing my project. Now for more hot tea then back to bed. Wish me a VERY speedy recovery!
———-
*fluey – Is that a word? Occasionally used here verbally, but not a recognized word even in the Dictionary of Slang
**phooey – expression of contempt, 1929, from Yiddish, from Ger. pfui (attested in Eng. from 1866); popularized by Walter Winchell. Phoo “vocalic gesture expressing contemptuous rejection” is recorded from 1642. – Dictionary.com

March 8, 2007 in Being an Artist by Marja-Leena 11 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

garden therapy

morning sunshine
a rare event
eyes blinded
cleaning garden
finding green shoots
buried under fall leaves
liberate to air and light
garden therapy for them
for me

March 6, 2007 in Being an Artist, Canada and BC, Photography by Marja-Leena 13 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

my Monday

After breakfast, I took my tea with me and sat down at my computer to read emails, some news and a few blogs, as I usually do most mornings if I don’t leave the house early for the printmaking studio or an appointment. Today, I wanted to make another collagraph for my ongoing Silent Messengers print series. I wrote about one of them a while ago, in case you missed it.

I had an idea of what I wanted but needed a little inspiration to clarify it. I decided to have a look at The Bradshaw Foundation website, and was excited to find some new additions to the already rich collection of rock art images from around the world. Some of the Baja, California petroglyphs seemed along the line of what I was after, so I started sketching my own idea.

From time to time, I looked out the window next to me and noticed that it was snowing big fat white feathers! This kept on going all morning, though melting on the ground. I could not resist taking a few photos. I think the one above of the wet snow on a skylight is rather interesting, even though I’m not impressed with this weather this late in February!

Later I moved into my little home studio to make the collagraph. First cutting some matboard into the desired shape, I then began slowly cutting and gluing paper shapes including crinkled tissue paper onto it. I used acrylic medium as a fixative as well as coating all the surfaces including the back. Tomorrow, I’ll have another look at it, and will add more detail if needed and more layers of medium. I found a way of applying gloss acrylic very smoothly onto areas that I want to wipe clean (ie. white) when I ink it for printing. On Wednesday I hope to print some proofs of it. Wish me luck, and maybe I’ll show you how it develops!

February 26, 2007 in Being an Artist, Home, Printmaking by Marja-Leena 15 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

awaiting spring

Longing to get out into the garden to clean up yet-untrimmed perennials, prune the roses and hydrangeas, weed and smell the earth, I’ve been frustrated by our extra long and colder winter. Usually the second half of February is spring-like, but sunshine has teased us only a few hours on a few days, and then it often happens that I’m working in the studio. The days are getting longer, yes, but they are still so gloomy that it’s easy to feel a bit just a bit SAD.

After a busy and productive week in the studio (yea!), I’d hoped for the blessings and energy from some sunshine. Instead it’s very cold (3C), windy and rainy with new snow on the mountains. Instead of outdoors, I’ve been in our unheated (10C) solarium cleaning up fallen leaves from cold-suffering and pouting hibiscuses and jades. A few hardy plants are bringing some pleasure though, and I tried taking some photos to share. A sign of how dark it is even out there at mid-day is that the camera’s flash kept coming on.

Anyway, here are two of my favourite old faithfuls – a jade and a heavenly scented orchid. Wishing an early spring to all my readers who are having a late and snowy winter!

I must say though, that Dave Bonta’s beautiful winter photos almost make me want snow again!

P.S. Oh, and while I’m playing a bit of linky love, I’ve been wanting to point out Teju Cole’s essay on how to write. I’m always in such awe of his writing on his blog that it makes me feel like I should stop my own scribblings and just concentrate on my visual art!

February 24, 2007 in Being an Artist by Marja-Leena 12 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

my left foot

after hands, come feet…

February 19, 2007 in Being an Artist, Human, Photoworks by Marja-Leena 5 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

handprints

Moving on from my initial studies of hands by way of scanning, I played around with ways of taking an impression of my hands.

I decided to try making collagraphs using acrylic medium on matcard pieces. I applied the medium using thin coats and thick coats and several types and brands of acrylic medium. I pressed my hands into the medium, from very wet, to almost dry. It was hard to get a very fine impression that was printable. The last two tests have a moderately thick layer of gel medium, allowed to dry slightly. Pressing hands into the medium still squished it around but with some additional drawing and manipulating, I achieved satisfactory impressions.

Shown here are scans of the initial proofs of the two plates printed on white paper. The print below is a section of the slightly larger print, too big for my scanner. Today, I printed these two plates on top of a much larger inkjet print of another image and was quite pleased with the result. Now this piece, another one of my ‘Silent Messenger’ series is almost ready to edition. Progress. And I feel better!