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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

A commission underway

Barry and I are fortunate to have been asked to do an interesting and large commission. Comprising eleven individual pieces, the works combine elements of both of our art and styles.

And we have been busy. It feels like a case of extreme scheduling and logistics; things need to be done in a sequence and there is no way to go faster or cut corners; everything just needs to take the time it takes and so we do a little bit each day when we can. My mind boggles a bit at all the processes and the fear each time that something could go wrong and we have to re-do things and re-jig our schedules to adjust to the new timeframes...Strangely enough, the deadline is about the exact same time our exhibition opens!

Me, I have been cutting up lots of paper and making lots of embossing plates and pieces, and embossing...









Most of these marks reference marks Barry has beaten into metal - all 11 pieces will be unique and individual, yet also have the continuity of a similar look and feel. This is only the beginning, we have so many more steps yet to do!

19 comments:

  1. I just love those embossed marks on the paper. So simple yet so powerful.

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    1. Thanks Gina - it took a while to work out what to do and how to do it, but I am happy with them - they are solid yet still playful somehow.

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  2. Can't wait to see what the commission as a whole looks like

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    1. Thanks Jac - all can be revealed in a few weeks. It's scary but good.

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  3. Wonderful! Congratulations to you both on such a grand commission! Your embossing makes me yearn to reach through cyberspace to feel the papers with all those raised areas. I hope you'll keep us posted along the way. Enjoy!

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    1. Thanks Jennifer - the marks are so tactile and inviting aren't they? I have really enjoyed it once I worked out what to do. The rest of it is proving slightly more stressful - minor crisis today, but we continue...

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  4. Looks great! Can't wait to see the project completed.
    All the best~

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    1. Thanks Anna - white embossing nearly always looks good doesn't it!?!? Go well.

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  5. I'm loving those embossed bits!

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  6. Good luck with your exhibition and this commission Fiona. The embossings are beautiful.

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    1. Thanks Helen, yes there is plenty on the go to keep us busy at the moment!

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  7. Love the embossing - it looks clean and beautiful and somehow tranquil.

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    1. Thanks Lyndell - it does appear quite restful doesn't it? Even all together and being different.

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  8. You know how much I love embossing Fiona! I've been playing around with scraps of paper and embossing buttons, hooks and eyes this week. As I was using offcuts of printmaking paper it struck me for the first time how the embossing was deeper on some than others despite the press pressure and the soaking time being the same. Your impressions are crisp but not hard edged, perfect details in even the finest strips.I have to ask this - what paper are you using? I've been using Somerset Satin and Rives BFK but your marks are clearer.

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    1. Hi Lesley - your embossing sounds like it has much more of a sense of play and enjoyment to it than mine - love the idea of hooks and eyes. Because I had to use paper that went thru the inkjet printer beautifully - to write certain things, that also had to be able to take ink and calligraphy (and let me say I had some very ugly moments on the way thru to this final paper), and because I needed to emboss a full page and a half page on another page and put them back to back, I used a lighter weight paper than usual (170gsm) and also didn't soak it at all. Its called Zerkell Smooth and I got it cheap one day in a paper sale, not knowing anything about it at all, but it has literally saved my bacon on these. They went straight thru the press never a worry.

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    2. Thank you Fiona. I've used Zerkall for lino prints many moons ago so will have to find out how easy it is to source some. I do have some lightweight Japanese Masa paper that I bought recently for monoprinting and I might experiment with that first. The old packs of hooks and eyes made some great impressions. The trouble is that I then get a bit gung ho and want to emboss everything in sight. Not very selective - but fun!

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  9. I too love your embossing, great shapes and patterns. I'm catching up on a few posts following a holiday; it was interesting reading about the paper you and Lesley use. This commission sounds exciting!

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    1. Thanks Anna - the paper has worked out quite well, and yes the commission is pretty exciting! More soon.

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.