Flying fish

Reduction linoprinting takes focus and concentration to get a good result. Not only do you have to think counter intuitively and work backwards but one lapse and its all down the gurgler!

I have just had a great day with Pip of 135Gallery learning the intricacies of reduction linoprinting and it was a steep curve. Unfortunately some of my printing layers were not lined up, so not perfect, but the main outcome of learning the process was achieved. Pip has many wonderful prints on display in her gallery using her simple hand printing method- no press required.

First step the design, Japanese koinboro kites were the inspiration for the preliminary sketch:

First the parts to stay white are cut away, the first colour is printed, then the parts to stay the first colour are cut away. Mine ends up with some parts having all six colours printed giving great depth. Top cut away for white, second cut away to keep gold:

Top gold printed, bottom light grey printed:

Top fish being removed to keep it light grey

Next colour- dark grey printed , then second fish cut away

I forgot to take a photo of the red print so now we just have the final prints. After the red print the third fish was cut away to do the background. I first tried a blue background, then a charcoal grey and finally a blackish grey over the blue. All very different effects.

Charcoal grey background

Blackish grey – poor registration top and bottom

Blackish grey over blue-poor registration at top

I am looking forward to experimenting with this again now I know the process.

Twining a dilly bag

I was fortunate to spend a day with Aunty Bronwyn Razem at the National Wool Museum last weekend. The workshop was using twining to create a dilly bag in raffia. Now I have the technique mastered I am hoping to make a few different variations. Aunty Bronwyn has some wonderful pieces of her fibre work on exhibit at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Federation Square Melbourne, well worth the visit to see both her works and the other artists on display as well. Below is the current progress. I am not happy with the attachment of the emu feathers so I will take them off and try a different technique-stay tuned.

Twined dilly bag

Also in progress is this woven basket, begun at our GeeTAG twining workshop and now being embellished with beads and woven rings.

Woven basket with woven rings

I visited a few open studios today in the Northern Bellarine Arts Trail including lovely printmaker Jennifer Niewenhof in Portarlington. At Dax Designs in Drysdale I found some gorgeous lampwork glass beads/shells made by Glenda MacNaughton all ready to attach to my basket!

Lampwork glass shells

The smallest is 12mm diameter, the largest 30mm long. I will try to finish these two this weekend, it is the Melbourne Cup weekend so an extra day off.