Printmaking and Handmade Stamps

     In the high schools, I most often had students make their print plates from soft-oleum (like linoleum, only softer and easier to cut). 
 
     It is similar to the material of which some pencil erasers are made (If you only want to make something small, you can use erasers).  It cuts easily with both expensive and cheap gouges.

    The prints made with soft-oleum are similar to woodcuts or linoleum prints, except that, with extended use the material gets worn more quickly.  The lines in the print begin to soften and lose the sharp, crisp edge.  Due to the soft, rubbery texture of the material, it can also be difficult to do very detailed close cuts.  However,  I have had students prove me wrong.
     Recently, I have been reusing some of my old print plates.  They can be carved on both sides if the carvings aren't deep on either side.  I cut some of the plates into smaller pieces for stamps.  I prefer rustic, imperfect stamps but one can make more "fussy" designs if desired.  In just minutes, I had a rustic flower stamp...

a few minutes later, a pumpkin...

and last, an acorn.

     To make my designs, I usually draw in pen directly onto the soft-oleum, but you can draw it on paper or print it from the computer and transfer it with carbon paper (I know some of you still have some) or by scribbling pencil on the back of the paper and then tracing the design onto the plate. 
      These small stamps can be rolled with printmaking ink and paints, or used with stamp pads. Why not try your hand at making your own unique stamps before shelling out money at the craft store on stamps anyone can buy?!
     If you need more detailed information, there are a lot of great tutorials out there on printmaking, which is why I didn't bother.  Here is a lesson plan that describes the process and materials well.

Casual Collograph Printmaking

     Like some sick soup, there is a mix of  flowers, fish and cats in the small kiln.  In the corner, thin metal is periodically pounded, textured, and sculpted a few inches each day, working its way toward a final form.  The potter's wheel is on it's side, again, waiting for diagnosis and a treatment.  Such is the state of the studio this week, and yet there is little to show.
     It's time for a quick project to keep motivated.  In the last few days, there have been stories about all the Picasso goings-on in New York.  The Met is having an exhibit of his pieces from its permanent collection, there is also a show at MOMA, and in case you missed it, a Picasso painting just made a record by selling at auction for 106.5 million.  The MOMA website has a special page about Picasso and his work here.  The site describes several methods for print making used by the artist.  That was enough to get me to pull out my print making supplies.
     I decided to use the collograph (also spelled collagraph) technique, which is simpler that those used by Picasso, but is something I have used because it can be easy, fast and almost free.  Making a collage for the print plate, you can use just about anything relatively flat such as construction paper, cardstock, lace, string, yarn, drawing with white glue etc and build it into layers.  In this case I made several plates using junk mail the thickness of cardstock, and thin cardboard (chip board) from a cereal box.  I like to cut out my design in simple shapes and then glue the pieces to a background.  Then I paint on a mixture of white glue and water over the entire plate.  That step is not necessary but I find it helps to seal the porous materials and much less ink or paint is required to make a print.
     I like to use a brayer and Speedball inks.  The inks have a nice tacky feel to them, good solid color, and they dry quickly.  However, in a pinch, I have also used tubed acrylic or tempera paint and a large paint brush, with some success.

Here are my collograph plates:

Both plates are hard to see because of the materials used..  On the left is thin cardboard and on the right is  printed junk mail.
     I inked up the brayer on a sheet of glass, then rolled it over the print plate.  To test out the print before using good paper, I flipped the plate onto used butcher paper, from a recent package, and rubbed the back of the plate with the back of a spoon (in lieu of a baren).  I found I liked the look of the ink on the brown wrinkled paper so much I may use it in my final project.

Here are the inked up plates next to the prints they make: 

     Obviously the image in the left hand photo needs more ink for a solid image, but there is a nice aged look with less ink.  A primitive art book I have is begging for this print on a book sleeve to cover its torn up hardcover.
     I have shown here a very simple version of this idea.  You can make a plate with many layers and add textured papers for more sophistication.  The thinner the material used, the more delicate the line around the shapes will be in the prints.

Aluminum Can Art

     I've been spending my free time, in the last week, preparing materials for a sculpture I am planning.  As I sat, cutting up aluminum cans into art materials, long spirals fell from my aviator shears into the box below.  I hadn't noticed the briar patch of metal forming until a screw, from the shears, worked itself free and fell into the box.  It sat atop of the metal discards until I tried to pick it up.  With each attempt the screw fell a little further into the entangled, thorny mass.  Navigating around the sharp points and edges, I managed to pick up the entire bundle and shake the screw loose just as half of the bundle began to disintegrate, raining metal bits back into the box.  Once the screw was retrieved,  I stared in the box marveling at the little moment of art that was, for that moment, more interesting than the project on which I was working.   And now there are so many more projects ideas gathering in my brain!
     Back to the current project.  Here are my gathered supplies:

• Relatively uniform strips of colored aluminum cans

• Some hardware cloth (wire mesh)

•  A pair of pliers 

 
Now what do you suppose I'll make?

Alice In Wonderland Charm Update

 

Last week, I picked up the charms from the Alice In Wonderland swap hosted by Michelle at FaerieDustDreams.  You can see the results on her blog here.  There are links to the participating artists' blogs there as well.  If you want to be reminded of the mushrooms I made, you can view them here.

Wallterfall Art

     When I first moved to a house with cathedral ceilings, I found I had nothing but small framed photos to hang on the huge white walls.  I needed some art on the walls quickly.  Yes, need.  What I decided I wanted was a large wall sculpture. I would have loved to make a huge ceramic piece, but that would take time and I wasn't sure the walls could hold the weight.  The cheapest, quickest and lightest weight option I came up with at the time, was to make it in a type of Papier-mâché (paper-mache).
     Luckily, the previous owners of my house left a role of chicken wire behind which I used to build the basic form of the piece.  Before deciding on a design, I worked with the wire to see how it behaved and what forms I could develop. Suddenly, in among the hexagons of wire, I saw an abstract waterfall taking shape.

 
    I spread out plastic sheeting across the garage floor and gathered supplies.

• Chicken wire
• wire cutters
• newspaper and junk mail (removing any of the shiny paper)
• white glue
• water
• paints (I ended up using tempera, acrylic, and spray paint)

    The form was sculpted with the chicken wire, cutting it when necessary.   I tore the newspaper into strips, and made a mix of glue and water at a ratio of 2:1. Then it was a long process of dipping the strips in the glue and smoothing them on to the form.  I continued until I had a good sturdy structure of  3-5 layers, allowing it to partially dry between layers.  When done, I allowed the sculpture to thoroughly dry before painting. 
     I used several types of paint, layering earthy tones on the background and blues, greens, purples, whites and silver on the waterfall.  The texture that the paper left added to the depth and interest of the colors.
     The final dimensions were 55" x 25" x 10".   Yes, that's pretty big.  I was able to complete the project for no money other than the cost of the paint and glue used.  It took about six days, including drying time.  My idea of quick, being six days, may seem long in this instant gratification society.  However, it takes me up to 80 hours (a few hours a day) to make a 18" tall ceramic sculpture, so six days, to me, is a quick project...and something to hang on the wall.

Making Moments Count

There is never enough time.  Work, sick little ones, errands, cooking...life.  I am too busy to make much art these days.  So, I have to take in the beauty and creative "me time" when I can get it.

In the last few days, I broke out my inner cheerleader at the sight of this pom pom-looking flower,

paused to be intoxicated by the aroma of lemon blossoms,

and made a quick 3D, contour, self portrait from an old file folder.

Mo' Mo' Betta Boxes

     First is an extension, or more aptly a partial deletion, of the box in the previously post.  The boxes above, from the template below, have completely eliminated the walls of the boxes I showed previously.  I love these for simplicity, if you have a relatively flat wide item or a special card/invitation this is perfect..  You simply choose the size of your square base and add semi-circles, with radius half that of the squares width, to each side of the square.  I guess these might be closer to envelopes than boxes.
     One thing to note, these do not work well for small loose items like confetti or jump rings as those items can sneak through the cracks or the center.

     Next are some cube boxes.  These are great for larger items or ones that are as deep as they are wide and tall.  The small tabs are about 1/4 of the square width and the longer tabs work best if between 1/2 and 3/4 the square width.  This box will hold together without adhesive when closed, but you may prefer to glue/tape the far left tab on the inside of the square on the far right for it to stay together when opened.

I've found that along with used file folders, thin carboard packaging, notecards, and magazine covers  also work well as 'green' material for these boxes.