by 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!
