A full week of work

The above prints are from the plaster plates.


This past week I have been making plaster and wax collagraph plates and printing from them with various amounts of success.

Finally, I have cracked the Encaustic Collagraph printing process after making many prints. The other two Plaster collagraph plates have gone through several transformations and I don't believe I am quite there yet.

The above images are of the wax collagraphs on various papers.

Sometimes it takes months to get back into my studio

Have an exhibition coming up, so some pressure to produce some work. Recently, I have been thinking about "Finding Home". How birds and animals can find their way without maps. So, the work will have a mapping element to it.

Decided on encaustic collagraphs and am using Akua Intaglio inks on both Japon and Hahnemulle paper.

Here is an image of the plates and the resultant proof.

The image above is the print on Hahnemulle paper. Title: Finding Home.

This image is of the inked plates.

Not Printmaking, but paper 3D instead

Have just returned from one week of paper sculpture with Jade Pegler at Ballarat Fibre Arts. Sometimes, removing oneself from the everyday, helps with a re-energised return to the preferred medium. A wonderful, playful week was had by all in the class. We all returned to our childhood in a sense. Here are some of the objects created during the week. Now, onto making my prints into objects. What fun!

A glimpse of my work practice.

Click on this link to see the start of making 3 metal and liquid metal collagraph plates.


Collagraph video

It has been a while.

Christmas and New Year are never a good time for me to make work. Too many other things going on and I need a clear head to make a start.

Nevertheless, this week has seen me in my studio again and this time I decided to record my printmaking endeavours. This is the first time I have done this so, as with other new media, I will improve with time and practise.

Head on over to my facebook page to view the videos: http://www.facebook.com/jgnieuwenhof

In the meantime, here are some of the finished prints.

Collagraph Continuing

These latest collagraphs are again from plaster plates. Inked with oil based inks on Fabriano paper with Chine Colle gold and silver leaf.

Monday December 3rd

In the process of making more plaster plates. This time, half are to be used for printmaking and half for encaustic painting. Some are on plywood and some are on craftwood. Just trying different surfaces. Haven't used any carborundum this time around, but it is not over yet.

I bought some 640gsm Fabriano HP paper for printing onto with these plates. The nice thing about the paper is the very deep embossing that occurs. The prints almost look like a low relief sculpture rather than a 2D image and in many ways they are sculptures.

This is a plywood plate, with plaster coated with 2 kinds of varnish.

This is an uncoated plaster plate ready for encaustic painting.

All four of the above plates are drying and will be ready to proof by later today.

First Prints from Plaster Plates

This series of works will focus on "The Home Paddock". A metaphor to express my feelings about our Australian environment. Apparently, the seas around Australia have risen 1 degree in temperature in 100 years, causing fish to migrate further south, seeking cooler waters. We live in paradise. This is how I feel about my "Home Paddock". I want to protect it.

Title: Home Paddocks.

After spending the afternoon in the studio, here are the resultant prints from the plaster plates I have been working on all week.

Title: Farm Gate

Title: Farm Gate dream.

Inked plate

Inked plate

Title: River Flats

Title: Standing Stone

Title:  Stratum

On a roll.

Making more plaster plates today. The images show the very beginning of this process. The plates have been coated with a 50/50 water and pva mix. The plaster has been mixed and troweled onto the plates and is now drying. Next will be sanding, sealing, applying various varnishes to achieve light, then inking and printing.

The title of this series will be "The Home Paddock".

It's been a while.

Angkor

Collagraph

Recently I sustained an ankle injury (fell over) which has made it difficult to stand for prolonged periods, so my press lay idle for some time. Although my ankle is still troubling me, at least I have ventured back to Printmaking. Here is what I have been doing this past week. I have to thank the arrival of Brenda Hartill's new DVD set which inspired me.

 Angkor Ghost

Collagraph with gold leaf

Prepared Hahnemulle paper

Drying prints

Machine

Collagraph with silver leaf

Machine: Collagraph with carborundum

Drying plates

My inking bench set up.

Blue inks ready for use.

Red Japan 1.

Red Japan 2.

Rubs.