I finished up weaving my offset prints together yesterday. These were the first and fourth pull of my first A1 run on the offset press. I am very pleased with how this came out. I'm calling it Imaginary Space. I'm figuring out the best way to mount it at the moment.
Last week I did more printing on the offset press, again A1 sized. I was experimenting with abstract - which hasn't been something I've experimented with before. But now that I can't see to do the super detailed work, it is something I'm eager to explore.
The first pull was a bit washed out. I had blotted it with newsprint as I was worried the ink would run like my first try the last time I used the offset press. But, it wasn't actually necessary. I re-inked the plate while it was on the press to darken up some of the black areas and ran the roller over it about four more times!
Then I took the plate off the press and added more ink with finger-painting. I preferred this print to the first one - did two pulls of it.
I like the intensity of the first pull, but the textures and layering of inks show up much better in the second.
I cleaned the plate up again (and the press!) and played around with stamping with some sponges and textures I'd brought in with me. It's okay, but I'm not really thrilled with it. But Anne loves it and is insisting I not recycle it.
I'm still not totally sure about doing abstract. I think it is the letting go of control in the design of the work... I've always planned and then executed to a vision, and abstract doesn't seem to want to work with me on that! I'm working hard to loosen up and go with the flow.
Last Saturday I attended a Gel Printing workshop at the St Ives Arts Club which was fun. I've been gel printing since last summer but thought attending a workshop could be useful. It was mostly an introductory course but we spent most of it creating and trying out all the materials provided. They have other courses that are of interest so I hope to get to more workshops this summer.
Here are some of my results from the workshop that I quite like - the first three are on note cards, the next three on on paper using a 5x7" plate, and the last was the result of cleaning off my roller - love the result of that.
Gel printing is fast and fun, and easy to clean up after. I'm still in playing around mode, and have lots of ideas to use it in mixed media work. I've a drawer full of gel printing waiting to get used. There are so many ways to use gel plates and I've only tried a few of them.
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