Screen Printed Birds #1

I thought I would try a little screen printing on fabric so I chose to make a few hand towels for friends and family. The design is simple (time was running out!) but still, it took some time and patience. See my process! Here I'm cutting a stencil for the yellow bird, to be printed on the fabric first.

I think screen printing is the most fun of all of the printmaking processes!

Screen Printed Birds #2

I attached my cut-out stencil (only the yellow bird was cut out) to the bottom of my screen and then I squeegeed the ink through the screen. It went through my stencil onto the fabric underneath.

Screen Printed Birds #3

The screen is lifted and you can see I have finished adding the third and last color, pink!

Final Result!

The screen print project is complete!

Edward Gorey Christmas Card

I was looking for Christmas cards and I found some that had the artwork of one of my favorite artists, Edward Gorey (1925-2000). I first saw his amusing work on the PBS television series "Mystery" where his animated work introduces the show. His work is a little quirky and strange but that is what makes it so interesting! Maybe it reminds me of an etching!

I love this one.

Merry Christmas!

Girl in Cafe #1

I'm working on this old drypoint plate to try to make the edition I couldn't make before. I've worked with a needle tool and think it's ready for printing. Here I am using a piece of matboard to put some etching ink on the plate. I am hoping I have worked hard enough!

Girl in Cafe #2

I'm wiping the ink from the plate with a material which is like cheesecloth, called tarleton. The ink will stay in the scatched marks, if you don't wipe too much. That is the tricky part!

Girl in Cafe #3

After printing it on my press, it looks like this. See the plate in the background. It doesn't look finished.....but that's printmaking! Sometimes it seems you will never finish or get it to just the right place! Anyway, I'll work on it some more and then show it again or at least show the first and only one I have from a few years ago.

Back to work!

Girl in the Cafe

I have one nice print of this drypoint plate, made while working on my degree in college a few years ago. I do like it! At the time there wasn't much time to make an edition so I thought I'd work on the plate a bit now and print it. A drypoint print is made from a plate which is metal or plastic where special tools such as roulettes or needles have made textures and lines through scratching. I'll show you the process. Mine is a thick acrylic plate but you can use a thinner acrylic plastic sheet. I beveled the edges with a sander to prevent any sharp edges from damaging the press blankets. I'm anxious to see if I can get a good print!