relief prints

I am a process kind of printmaker.

I love surprise and discovering ways to make marks. To do this I make lots of prints, most are nothing that I would want to frame, but they are what got me to the prints that I do love.

It took me awhile to realize that if I print on standard size papers that fit into easy to buy mats and frames then I would be more likely to frame and share my work.

It is kind of thinking from the end product first.

Here in the US we can buy mats and frames for papers that are 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 11″ x 14″, 16″ x 20″ and there are even some easy to find square sizes.

So if the cost of customer mats and frames has been holding you back from sharing your work, then you may want to try working in a more standard size and see what happens.

These are some soft plate relief prints that were standard sizes and therefore I was able to just drop them in some frames quickly and inexpensively.

If you like the look of these layered prints, then you may want to join us in the online printmaking course, Soft plate relief printing. Click here for the details, class starts August 7th. 

This is a low tech, non-toxic printing without a press process. Check out a gallery of some of my relief prints.

I did it! Whoa! It took some creativity and some commitment to the promise that I made to myself.

I must admit that today is another SEE and Print project. That is my big discovery that I am really attracted to processes that do not require the “draw” part of the process.

I used some orphan type face that I recently purchased at the Museum of Printing. I held the wooden letters together with an elastic and printed it with speedball block printing inks.

I did print several copies and played with the spacing and position of the letters. I was not getting perfect impressions, so in the end I needed to embrace the imperfections.

This monoprint was printed on paper and then mounted on to a 3″ square block. If you are a local reader. I will be at the Christmas Stroll on Saturday, at 90 Washington St, the Haverhill Art Market. And I am having a BIG studio sale. Hope to see you there.

• Christmas Stroll on
• Saturday – 12 to 6
• 90 Washington St,
• the Haverhill Art Market.

Today I carved a tiny stamp – “Believe” I thought I might use it to add a little something to  some ornaments that I am working on. I had originally made a thermofax screen of the word, believe. I test printed it and could not get it to print consistently.

The style of the mark may be too primitive to go with the style of the ornaments. But I was impressed that I could even carve such a small and detailed block.

Is it nice to have the confidence to just jump in and make a block, screen or stencil when I want a new design to play with.

I say give it a try! Just jump in and make the printmaking matrix that you need, be it a screen, a drawing, relief block or a stencil. You can do it!

Today, for day 27 of the #SEEdrawprint challenge, I picked up some dried Queen Anne’s lace on my walk and did a wax rubbing monoprint.

These flowers were quite dried and brittle. I tried to flatten the branches to separate them and make an interesting print.

I used a wide black crayon to make the monoprint on rice paper. I like the quick and experimental nature of this process. Again I am realizing that I like to skip the “draw” part of the process and find ways to print without having to draw to make prints.

Yesterday, I explored the experimental nature of rubbings, as part of the contemporary practice class with Cathy Mclaurin at the Essex Art Center.

It was fun to wander the studio looking for textures and patterns. So today I explored my own studio for simple textures and made a rubbing with a fat black crayon.

This takes the need to draw right out of the process. I just see and print. Do you recognize some of the items? I think that I am going to carry some rice paper and this black crayon with me on my walks and see if I can capture more interesting textures and patterns.

It is an experimental process. Somethings print i nice crisp line and some things don’t. Look for a strong raised edge to get the best results. Enjoy!