Affordable printing presses...

October 26, 2013

As per usual, I found myself looking at printing presses that I can't afford. I managed to stumble across the blog Printmaking Arts who spoke about buying a printing press for under £100. While this might be possible for some, I thought it offered some helpful suggestions. Letterpress' and book presses are easily found on eBay for a reasonable price however, once again my problem is the distance! After all, they're not the lightest of things to carry on public transport... One day I'll strike gold and find a bargain. I hope it's sooner rather than later if not, I'll have to make my own. I've found various DIY tutorials online that look achievable, although slightly out of my skills range. For instance, this stunning tutorial looks amazing:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Printing-Press/?ALLSTEPS#step16

While these are probably more realistic:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Book-Press/

http://www.monoprints.com/techniques/bottlejackpress.pdf?PHPSESSID=55f5780479b949a7d381b4cc7930e0e4

I've even started looking at old clothes mangles that I could potentially convert into printing press but I think that's me getting ahead of myself and wanting too much, too soon!

Another discovery...

October 22, 2013

It's been far too long since my last blog post. As I've started using Pinterest to discover more artists and collect inspiring material for my practice, I thought it was about time that I make a blog about one in particular. Megan Bostic explores the tangled emotions of grief in her work using materials such as linen, thread, wax and tea to create textile based sculptural forms. A poignant piece that particularly struck a chord was, The First Year of Grief, as both my family and I are going through this at the moment. These fragile forms look as though they could disappear with your next breath, which certainly evokes the ephemeral and transient nature in her work. This piece is made of 365 components from silk organza where she employed a process that involved protection of raw material (waxing), partial destruction (burning) and attempting to mend (stitching). This therapeutic process stems from the death of her mother and is a way of channeling her own emotions while addressing the empathy and grief of others.

Her inspiration is "the anxiety influence' where visiting poets W.S Merwin and Laureate discussed the power for things to resonate within you and engage your emotions, particularly empathy. Whether this is what you hear, see, smell or touch. Artists of interest:

Recently - Bruce Nauman, Alan Cohen & Gabriela Gusamo

Conceptually - Deidre Scherer

Fibre - Lenore Tawney

Materiality - Joan Livingstone

Interview with artist can be found here.

Blogged by Shellsuit Zombie Magazine

October 14, 2013

Based in London, this magazine is run by and dedicated to showcase young emerging artists. A friend recommended that I submit my work to be in their Mad Skills Monday and luckily they were happy to help out! Predominantly illustration and graphic design based but they have excellent articles on surviving as a creative, so worth checking them out! Check out the LINK!

Caitlyn Soldan on Mordancage

October 6, 2013

I've been thinking about my art practice again and came across one of my favourite photographers, Caitlyn Soldan. Her work led me to the process of Mordancage, a largely unknown toxic process, but if done safely and correctly, can lead to beautiful results. I'm hoping once I get a studio/darkroom set up in possibly a months time, I can continue working with this creative process and continue my investigations into the materiality of the printed image. http://www.catiesoldan.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJLCFmU10i8

Pushing Print 2013

October 3, 2013

Pushing Print 2013 festival runs from 5-20th October showcasing 93 artists across two venues which will serve as a platform for contemporary and traditional printmaking. I'm hoping to head down there as it looks like a great opportunity to see some inspiring work that will broaden my horizons on what can be considered printmaking. Everything from traditional screen printing to mixed media incorporating light and projection with the added bonus of workshops and talks.

Artists who have caught my attention are below. All quite similar when put together, I guess it goes to show my interest in the photographic print. Please check out their page by following the LINK. No doubt when I take a trip there, I will blog my review!