Sunday, June 5, 2016

Printing peace

We have only had a few hours back in the studio since we returned home - but I tried to make the most of it.

I am part of a panel of three printmakers giving a talk on Wednesday night 8 June (6pm - 7pm at Caloundra Regional Gallery - book here). I am talking about my love of letterpress printing and printmaking.

I am also giving a letterpress printmaking demonstration t the University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery next Saturday 11 June from 10.30am - 11.30am (to be followed by a 'meet the artists' event at the Gallery from 11.30am - 12.30pm).

So I wanted to get back in and play and print with the letterpress - so I have some small examples of letterpress and to prepare for next weekend's demonstration.

It was fun and as ever I could have stayed all day and all night and all day again; but it was not be as there are always other commitments in our lives.

I started out thinking I would just print a business card-sized piece for a give away. One style, one bunch of letters, spacers and furniture to work out how to lock up and that I would go print crazy with that.

But in the end I thought I'd tried a bunch of typefaces, and here I am testing a few to see if they fit on a business card sized piece of paper.




So far so good, so I began locking up the chase. And again.

A part of me loves the jig-saw like challenge of trying to work out how to keep the type in position; and get the quoins to press on the right parts to keep it firm etc.



It's always such a relief when you pick the chase up and the type doesn't fall out!


And then to inking - mixing up a nice grey.


And printing...

Empire 72 pt - so elegant - I am a little bit in love with this typeface.


Bodoni Ultra Italic 36pt also rather nice.



After lots of letter play I thought I'd try to print an ornament - quite interesting.


And then I was picking up all sorts of random paper and printing on them. Here is a funny old rust and transfer print that didn't work and had been added to my scrap paper notes pile - for writing notes on in the studio. I went to cut it up and found this image on the back and thought why not print on that?

Dorchester 36pt typeface


And any report of the weekend's work would be incomplete without a mention of the wild weather event that the east coast of Australia experienced.  We had such heavy rain, but it was only for 12 hours; and then we had really strong winds for another 24 hours. But we are safe and well.  And here's one of my rain shots from Saturday.


12 comments:

  1. the weather, the weather...imagine peace. i think the weather would like that, too.

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    1. We ended up being so fortunate Velma - the weather was so much worse as it sneaked along the coast down south - death and destruction. So yes, I think many folk would be hoping to imagine peace after that.

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  2. Oh! The Empire totally had me, but as ever you saved the best for last. Dorchester on rust and rain falling in torrents ... such an eye you have! Thank you for sharing your visions with us.

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    1. Thanks so much Liz! Empire is rather special; but I did like the little dorchester on tea-rust too! And a great sense of how heavy that rain was - phew. Go well.

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  3. Great rain shot!!!! ....and I vote for the Dorchester. Luvverly. Perhaps you could drop some diluted sepia ink on paper to give a rusty effect?

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    1. I liked that rain snap too Jo! I among tempted to print on and over anything Jo so sepia ink will not be safe either! Go well.

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    1. Thanks Mo - hope you stayed safe; it was abominable down south. We feel fortunate indeed to have just had what we had.

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  5. That rain photo is a stand alone painting. I could happily live with a large scale version of it on my wall.... rather than the rain of course. Sounds wild and wet and we have enough of it here thank you! I love the crispness of the type embossing and that grey is a perfect choice Fiona. My vote goes to Empire. It has the gravitas to match the aspirational request you are printing.

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    1. Thanks Lesley - if only I could paint! A happy-snap shot if ever there was one. It was wild and terrible down south - we were fortunate. Empire makes me feel happy when I look at it, and I like the gentleness of the grey and between them you are right - they share the message well.

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  6. You make me want to learn printing! That rust print background is just gorgeous!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed Kaija and feel inspired! I am a little bit besotted with letterpress at the moment and was so happy to be able to use my 'failure' as a background. Go well.

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