I am so glad I reworked my big copper triangles. I love how the plates etched.
So, it was very worth while reworking the plates.
A Very Merry Christmas and a Great New Year Everyone
I was not satisfied with the depth of the etch in this plate and a lot of the string like detail was just not there, so I am reworking the plate. First I stopped out areas I did not want to etch, with acrylic stop-out.
Then I played a bit with the background with a roll of hardground(Graphic Chemical w/s ink#1659) for a sort of aquatint effect. Hoping to add interest to the background I sprayed screen filler onto the plate also. The screen filler drops if all works out in the etching bath, hopefully will look like rain. The plate is drying, so I will let you know how it works out next week.
Take Care Everyone and Enjoy the Christmas Season
"The Peace Circle"
"Art Every Day Month" day 29 was a wonderful family time of unboxing 21 years of kids Christmas stuff and lots of Christmas memories. The creative act was fitting everything into an apartment and not a house. Everything is a memory with someones name and year marked on the bottom of each item. I was busy putting up other stuff and when I looked at the bookshelf, it was a wonderful sight of color and memories.
A few years ago my sister gave me a giant nutcracker for Christmas. I love it a lot. So when packing to move I made sure it was very well packed. Only problem we couldn't get it out of the box. Eliza Jane pushed from the bottom and Maida and I pulled from the top. The nutcracker is in perfect condition for another Christmas. We got Eliza out of the box also!
I took the first turn at reading for our family Advent this year. Eliza Jane took the picture and you can tell that I am one very happy Momma.
It is a few minutes after midnight so technically it is day 29 instead of 28 for "Art Every Day Month". Today/yesterday has been a busy creative day of Christmas stuff (shopping, movies, music and fudge making). A great day!
"A Kiss My Dove"
This is what might go on one of the remaining plates. I am taking off to do some Christmas stuff with family this evening. Happy Weekend Everyone!
#One
#Two
#Three
Both plates were etched for 5 hours but the etch is not very deep for a good relief print. I am not sure what I want to do with it now. Tomorrow I hope to proof the plates before reworking them.
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All that is left to etch 
In the beginning last fall 2008
Pile of 40 triangles etched as of today 
Nine 1/2 circles added to the copper pile
Total of 73 etched copper plates as of today.
So, I am continuing on with my mixed media adventure on copper for my "One With Copper" project .
This evening I painted on the plate with acrylic stop out and I am letting it dry over night.
Lots of fun making Gingerbread Cookies
Everyone is working hard at their masterpiece.
The masterpiece
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Well, my mixed media adventure was a flop! So, I put the plates in the stripper and went out shopping. This evening I tried again.
Tomorrow I will develop the plates and see what I have to work with. I hope I get lucky this time.
This is my mixed media adventure in stage one. I took scrapes of imagOn and exposed images onto the ImagOn before laminating it onto the copper plates. I am going to develop the plates tomorrow. Then look at exactly what I have, decide what to add to the image by drawing and painting onto the other bare copper areas. So, I will let you know tomorrow night what happens.
Today was dig out the studio day for "Art Every Day Month" day 19. Everything was piled on top of every available surface, even the floor! The good news is that I found two really large triangles to work on next. I took a photo to show the comparison to the largest triangles that I have been working with.
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"Then and Now"
This arrived in the mail this morning so I went down to the studio right away and printed one of my relief plates on my card. As soon as it drys I will be sending it off to the next participant. Helen Allsebrook dreamed up the Bristol International Postal Art Project 2010. I love fun ideas like this.
That is it for day 17 for "Art Every Day Month" and "One With Copper"
"The Balance of Tolerance"
This is the Etched Plate
"Lady Star"
Inked and on the press
The proof.
The image on my copper plate today is a collage of a piece of fabric, found objects and drawing with a near dried up paint maker. It is all about what I am thinking about when I try to settle down and play my guitar. I want to call it something like - what's in a mothers mind- but that is not quite right. It is etched and is now in the stripper, so tomorrow I will find out if it prints OK.
"Let Go and Keep On Trying"
"Let Go and Keep on Trying"
Yeah some more scrapes!!!!!
Both plates are in the etching bath right now.
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Oh, Bother again, my plate is not so great.
Last years up side down Praying Hands
You see, it was the most gorgeous beautiful day outside today. I had a lot of running around that needed to be done, and it was fun stuff. Ended up being a perfect family out and about day.
"Meeting Place"
This is a very important, special day to reflect on what we all can do to help our troubled world.
OH NO! It is taking me to long to set up.
It is getting lighter. This is around 7:10am
The sun is looking at my back door.
Blog Blast For Peace around8:40am
My "Copper Spirit For Peace" around 9:20am
Around 10:30am
Around 12 noon
Blog Blast For Peace around 1:10pm
My Copper Spirit Escaping at 4:20pm
The sky at 5pm to the right of my back patio.
Captured At 4:30pm
My Copper Spirit of Peace Heading into the Night
A Rainbow of Hope In the Dark
A Spirit of Hope Heading out into the Darkness
"Whistle A Tune" loves to have ink rolled on top. Yesterdays plates etched nice and deep for a great Relief printing.
I really like the copper plates for both images as a relief print.
Here we are all ready to go into the etching bath, just need to put my backing on.
Putting the backing on I saw some little detail that I wanted to touch up. Grabbed my paint sharpie marker gave it a shake (habit) and the tip flew off! What a mess!!!.
Oh Well, I added new spots to the design, put it in the etching bath and hoped for good luck.
"Whistle A Tune"
Strum Use A Tune's Proofs
"Strum Use A Tune" etched copper plate.
"A Scream" By Eliza Jane
"Still screaming for Mom"
Hey! Children are not supposed to stick their tongues out at their parents.
"A Scream" She let her hair down
"A Scream" by me this time!
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This week I put my husbands photography skills to a test. He gets to do all sorts of stuff he would not otherwise attempt, just because he loves my craziness . I wanted some photos for shapes to make transparencies for exposing to my damaged ImagOn, that I am having fun working with in the studio. So I wrapped an old bed sheet around my waist to give a wonderful flowing skirt effect and a scarf on my head for long flowing hair. The photos were pretty funny!
These are the proofs for this week
I am getting low on damaged ImagOn and will have to order some good stuff. I have been so relaxed playing with this stuff, that I am sad I only have a few scarps left.
I leave the plates in for a good 5 hour etch, so it is easy to just roll ink on the plate with a small roller.
This is how I made two of my favorite plates this week. I used some of the stuff hanging around the studio and two transparencies made on the computer.
Me and My Guitar copper plates
This has been an amazing week of sniffles, family time, and studio time. My favorite two days of the week were Saturday and Sunday with the family! I started coming down with a good old fashioned head cold on Sunday. Bummer! But, I still got a lot done on my project etching/sculpture/art installation/non-toxic printmaking project "One With Copper". AND I talked my oldest into a special photo shot that I have been wanting to do for a long time! She asked me to wait till after Halloween before showing the results. I am so excited about the idea! It is separate from One With Copper`` and is all photography. The main problem with the idea is getting people to let go of there inhibitions. Hmmmmmmmmmm??
My art installation was not well thought out, I was felling rotten and wanted to be outside. The great thing about the results is that the video is fantastic! The combination of ribbons in the trees, the movement of the wind and the landscape was so much better then my still shots. Again I will be posting more photos on Flickr.
In the studio I revisited my images from last week on my computer and made transparencies reworking the baby idea. I have a small amount of the exposed ImagOn left to play with still. Next week I hope to do some music themed etchings.
This is a few of the transparencies I did on the computer working with last weeks ideas.
I love working with ideas with the computer and sometimes the printer adds its input to the creative process also. The printer would not print with out lines no matter how much I augured with it. So, not wanting to wast the transparencies, I started filling in the lines with a sharpie marker. Halfway through coloring in the lines I decided to see if they would expose and etch well.
This is my favourite for this week. The plates and proofs worked great. Left INTAGLIO and right side is RELIEF.
This is the copper plate with ImagOn, all ready to be put in the etching bath (Edinburgh Etch)
Finally the etched plate. The copper plate was etched for 5 hours.
Yes all that mirror and copper is very heavy to carry. I am a happy nut and it really is a good work out now that we no longer have a car! 
Before Etching and After Etching 
I had a lot of fun playing with a bunch of stuff I found when I dumped my sewing basket out on the floor. A lot of the imagOn is not usable, but you can not tell until you start developing. This is because when you take it from the exposure unit, the ImagOn does not show any shadow of an image or color change. I tried different times for exposer and for some reason 3 minutes works best. If you happen to accidentally expose your imagOn, just relax and play with it. I love my plates this week. The copper plates were etched for 5 hours and work great inked up as relief or intaglio. Lots of fun!
A lot of the ImagOn went like this in the developer really fast!! I choose to keep this one and etched it. The others I just stripped and kept the copper plate for another time.
As long as the ImagOn is stuck to the plate it will resist and protect the copper plate from the etching solution.
The Plates In All Their Glory
Here are some of the proofs of the plates and again I will be putting extra pictures on Flickr.
This is one of the sets of copper plates inked up as a relief, printed on the press with damp paper.
The same same copper plates inked and printed as an intaglio. Two more plates and then I will stop for this week.
The plates inked and printed as an intaglio.
My grown up daughter stopped by last night and when she saw my plates, the first thing she pointed out was: "Mom, Baby's shouldn't play with scissors or needles and pointy things!" Ah, but I am all grown up now, so it is OK in my art. I am so glad my kids made me want to get into safer printing process's. It is because of wanting to be a Mom at home and being there for them that I am now working in non-toxic printmaking and loving the results. 
Week 42 in the studio "One With Copper"
No, No, I do not want to be in the picture!
"Take Care"
"Lost Memories"
The top plate is an etched plate with the backing secure. It really ate away with the edge of the copper plate. I redid the plates and have decided to hang the two ruined plates in the studio to see what will happen to the copper over time. One plate is going to have ink on it and the other is going to be dipped in future floor polish. This I hope will help me make up my mind on how to treat the plates for the final sculpture.
In the beginning I exposed the line drawing transparency to ImagOn laminated on the plate.
The copper plates after a 3 hour etch.
Using straight Screen Filler to draw the juggling balls.
The copper plates were left in the Edinburgh Etch for 2 more hours. This is what the plates looked like after being rinsed off. Then they were put in a soda ash solution to strip off the ImagOn resist and left over screen filler.
The left print is a relief of the above plates printed by hand with a roller on the back of the paper. The print on the right is what was left of the ink on the plate after I did the relief print. I dampened some paper and ran the plate through the press. It did a beautiful intaglio type print!
"How Do"
"Flying High"
"The Choosen Spot"
It was a small installation, but I got a lot of fantastic images, ideas and video out of it.
"Don't Get Tangled Up On The Way"
The copper plate inked up as an Intaglio
The copper plates inked up as a relief (I just rolled the ink on the plate)
The played with Intaglio proofs
The played with Relief proofs
All Done.
Idea for "Let's Go Fly a Kite" series
Image from Art Installation week 1 for "One With Copper"
Once the image was exposed to the plates with ImagOn, the plates were developed in Soda Ash and water. The same stuff you soak in at the spa's hot tube!
Overnight Etch
ImagOn is an amazing resist in the Edinburgh Etch.
The same Idea with the ImagOn stripped off after etching.
I didn't mess with the clock, honest.
Before I put the plate in the etching bath (Edinburgh Etch) I scratched on the plate again with the same tools as last week. Mark making is a lot different when the plate is dry.
This is a photo of the etched plates inked up.
The printed test plates
A lot of the texture on the plates comes from the old roller I was using.
This was last weeks fuss getting the water hooked up.
I have not started working with ImagOn yet. So things will move about as I work. I am having a problem of dirt on my clean paper area!!!!!!! So, move it or figure out what and where and how come the dirt is falling on my clean paper. Bother!
"Look At Me I Am Strong"
This is Strathmore watercolor paper socked in tea. I am trying to get an old, old aged looking paper. I used one of my old plates from the past that I never editioned, but love. I have a lot of plates that do not get editioned. Life happens and I move on to something else. I guess.
The plate is a combination of ImagOn, aluminum etching and screen filler painted on for the figures and the sun like thing.
"The print"
This is just a simple weed! Its beauty takes my breath away.
Nature knows how to Knit!
Let's start at the very beginning for week 40 working on "One With Copper"
Since my work space is new, my Edinburgh Etch is new and I wanted to talk about printmaking, I decided to do a test plate. I love to use 3 different inks for my hard and soft grounds. They are: Graphic Chemical W/S Block inks Peacock Blue # 1669, Black # 1659C, and Crimson Red # 1661C. Lots of printmakers add different stuff to their ink to modify it to their specific wants/needs. Me, I love my hard and soft ground straight from the can. Little things help as you get used to working with the process. Such as when to draw marks on the hard ground. It can be worked on wet or medium dry to bone dry. Depending on the color of ink when working with a soft ground, sometimes it helps to let it dry a little bit before working with it. It all takes experimentation to get exactly what you think you want. Happy accidents are my favourite experiments.
I did make marks in the hard ground while it was soft with the above tips. I also did a wash effect of the three colors. I know from the past that the black works best for a wash effect. I plan to etch the plate for 1 hour and I will show the plate and print next week.
The black ink is my all around favourite of the three inks for wash effects and hard grounds. The first mark was made with the metal tip needle, the second mark was with the pen, and the third mark/line on top was with the end of a paintbrush. From right to left you can see 1,2 and 3 rolls of ink on the plate. I like the one roll of ink for a quick aquatint effect. You can draw with a sharpie maker on a prepared plate and then roll ink on top. This works with one layer of ink rolled on the plate best. I forgot and rolled over my sharpie marker. Such is Life. I just will not clean the plate really well so you can see where the original color ink was next week.
I couldn't resist! When I was cleaning up I mixed the left over ink colors all together. This is the experiment plate for the three color hard ground. Note the lines drawn on the plate and the above marking tools.
"Dragons In My Window"
"Magic Magic Everywhere" 
"Dragon Visit"
"The Glass Princess's Beginning"
"Her Back Against the Wall"
"The Glass Princess's Party Outfit" 
"Goon Swimming"
"Rained Out Princess Ball"
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"It's Hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
This was a super hot evening at the Andrew Haydon Park as the sun was setting.
I am looking forward to "One With Copper" and working in the studio in September. I hope to be back next week with a another photo experiment.
First I boiled about 20 bags of tea. Brought it all down to the studio and socked some stonehenge paper in the tea. I wanted to age the paper color a bit. Some really neat spots happened on the paper. 
Unfortunately they are starting to fad a bit as the paper drys.
This is the copper plate "Washed Up On Shore" and I fondly like to also refer to as "Happy Blob On The Beach". We have wonderful walks along the river here in Ottawa, but Ottawa I am sorry you have very funny beaches!!! 
My first pulled print in Ottawa to celebrate Art Day, August 14, 2009
"Looking In All the Wrong Places"
My Studio Space as of first week in August.
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"If We work Together We Can Hold It Together"
Playing tourist downtown this week, I could not resist photographing this reflection in another building.
The lighting was so beautiful that day, as you will see in the next picture also.
The sky was such a perfect color background for the church steeples.
Walking along the river in the evening in the Bayshore area.
There are lots and lots of seagulls where I am living. Every morning I wake up to the sounds of seagulls talking.
Too end this week is a late evening photo on the water. I call it "Magic On The Water".
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"Tea Time"
"The Centre of my Copper Soul"
"Copper Ice Cube"
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I had to smash my last big piece of mirror so that I could pack up the pieces for moving. My limbo time all of a sudden has disappeared! I love the way it smashed and could not resist taking pictures.
This was done for last weeks blog that never got posted because life just got wonderfully crazy with graduations, special family and friends get together times. The afternoon that I photographed this set up, was again sunny and very warm. I played with water and took lots and lots of great photos to collage together. FUN FUN FUN!
"Copper Light"
Terry and Debra at Cavendish last week.
I wanted copper kites in the water with the ribbon moving gently. BUT............
Just shortly after taking this photo everything washed away. I scrambled to collect everything.
So, I reset up on shore and took lots and lots of photos, but it was not what I really wanted. I have another idea that might work to hopefully try before leaving the Island in a few weeks. Look to the centre of the above photo for the position of the Blue Heron.
"Resting Spot"
"Lunch"
"What, I Didn't Burp" 
"Gee, Some People"
"View Looking Towards Stanhope"
Week 37, One with Cooper at Basin Head, PEI
Basin Head is an incredibly beautiful place!
It was a perfect Sunday afternoon to play at the beach!
"Muddled Puddles"
"Reflecting Thoughts"
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"Looking Glass View"
"Shattered Art"
"Porch View"
"Shattered Art Evening"
This week 35 of my blogging about my show process for "One With Copper" we went tramping through the woods to set up a photo shot. I say we because Maida took pictures of me working and Terry volunteered to carry a large piece of mirror down a trail at Stanhope Beach.
OK, I am lucky! He really did volunteer.
The trail at Stanhope were we set up this week is in between the beach and the road. The video that I shot has a lot of road noise and one of the short videos even has a plane roaring overhead. Even so, there is a lot of wildlife to listen too on the trail. There are lots of birds and friendly squirrels on the trail.
I love the old wood growth as everything dies and renews over and over in a circle. Every stage is beautiful.
I could not resist adding some broken glass to the art installation with the copper plates.
I had such an enormous amount of fun doing this!
My New Toy To Play With
There are a few problems such as how to transport broken pieces of mirror to out door installations! This week I am going to try wrapping special pieces up in cloth and carrying them in a plastic bin, that should work. Awkward, Yes! especially with all the other stuff I need to carry with me. It is good to be crazy.
I am going to need so much help editing this show next year. I already have thousands of images, some video, plus other stuff to sort through and I have barely started working! It is all very exciting and great in a way not to be tied to any grant, university, or to anyone other then myself. I am free to wander through ideas and explore possibilities. Don`t get me wrong, money does help with the freedom of exploring materials, but right now I am truly loving just creating for the simple reason ``Because!``
This weeks installation was done indoors on the kitchen table.
I love contrasting elements- metal, glass and organic dying tulip.
I am looking forward to playing with my new toy outdoors.
Thanks for stopping by for week 34 on my journey working with ``One With Copper``.
Robinson's Island on May 3,09
Left hand view walking down to the beach in the summer.
May 3, 09 and this is a close up of the same view. I was interested in the old wood/driftwood when I took this photo, but afterwords I thought of what an interesting color extreme from my previous summer photos. In a month or less here, there will be lots of green.
This is the trail/path down to the beach at Robinson's Island on May 3, and now my photos for this weeks installation with my copper plates. I am in a random mood these days after so much organization while packing and disposing of stuff for our first stage move off the Island. The driftwood thrown up on shore was a perfect setting.
This may be a stretch for some folks but this reminds me of photos placed on a mantle or pump organ in an old home.
Before Photo
Another view of the installation at Robinson's Island.
Plates are all packed and heading back to the city.
Last fall I did an art installation for "One With Copper" on week 6 at this same location. This spring I went back as I most often do, as soon as I think the snow has cleared on the trail. The trail at Strathgartney Park still had snow but I had my camera and a few of my copper plates in my knapsack. It was a gorgeous beautiful warm spring day, and I had the time of my life walking around the park.
The park and trail are still closed so we parked on the side of the road and walked down. This is a view of the West River at Strathgartney. Prince Edward Island is small and maybe God took some extra time with his paint brush.
This is the entrance to the trail and I was so happy to see that my favourite log was still there, but different.
The log had broken, which just added interest for me to play with.
The trail still had a lot of snow still on it, so I got to work and played with an art installation for "One With Copper" week 32.
I used the log as my main interest point for photographing the copper plates.
The natural texture of the log is so beautiful and organic in contract with the copper plates.
I love the early spring sleepy look of the woods and the old blanket dried leaves on the ground.
I also love my family for being patient while I play and I love that they love being outdoors also.
I call this photo "Stretching to Wake Up"
When I am going through the photos for the blog, it is always difficult to choose images that show off the beautiful areas and the art installations. This image was chosen to really show the contrast of nature and the copper plates. I am still in love with this log as much as I was last fall.
Thank you for stopping by for another week with "One With Copper" documentation of a show in process that is all about "The Art of Playing".
Brackley Beach Sunday afternoon April 19, 2009
Trash Trash Everywhere!
I love this fence at Brackley Beach.
Yeah and Pray for Mother Earth!
Stanhope Beach Sunday afternoon April 19, 2009 
The Dunes at Stanhope Beach
"One With Copper" and melting snow,Yeah! 
Lets celebrate Earth Day Everyday.
This is week 31 for "One With Copper"
I Need to Turn On the Light
So until next week this is me at my computer in a corner by the bathroom. It was the only free spot that did not have stacked boxes, furniture and equipment that is selected for the final move in June. 
Happy Easter
"Escaping Demons"
This is the copper plate with the ImagOn still on the plate after being etched.
Photo of the plate after the ImagOn was stripped off.
Photo of the plate after it came out of the deoxidizing solution (mixture of salt and vinegar).
This and the bottom image are close-ups of the plate to try and give you an idea of what a beautiful deep etch this is.
If all the re- hooking up of all the wires and waves work out; I will be blogging from my temporary design centre. No studio work for the next 3 to 4 months.
In April after the first move, I will put a slide show up of all the steps.
I moved all the boxes out of the studio into another area in the house last week. This is just some of this weeks filled boxes! It is getting done, because it has to be all cleared out in two weeks.
www.Landfillart.org
I am packing everything I think I will need to work with in special bins so that in all the mayhem of moving I will be able to find "One With Copper". Yes, I am still going to work on my show during the three months of limbo in an apartment here in Charlottetown while our teenagers finish the school year. Also, even while we move in July. My art keeps me sane, HONEST!
"The Kids"
Close up of the copper plate.
This image was taken from my kitchen window Monday afternoon. I focused through a glass star hanging in the window. My oldest gave me the star as a gift many years ago.
This image was taken Tuesday morning after the storm day. My Holly Bush looks really sad, but beautiful.
#1 "Flying High" the transparency and the ImagON plate ready to go in the etching bath.
The copper plate etched
The copper plate inked up.
The proof.
#2 is a line drawing done from a photo collage that I played with for the Worldwide Women Artists March Exhibit. I love how it etched!
The original Photo Collage is titled "Dinner Time Dance"
The copper plate inked.
The proof for the copper plate "Dinner Time Dance"
The Intaglio Type print "Water Dreams" 2002
Five plates etched this week 24 for "One With Copper"
Printmaking is a step process that involves lots of exploration. If you like to think a lot about an idea; printmaking is a wonderful medium to work in. "One With Copper" is a lot about the beauty of copper and all the possible ways to manipulate it. There are so many ways to work with copper and this week I played with some of my reject ImagOn. Over the years I have put pieces of ends of rolls away thinking I will find an interesting use for them and I have.
At the end of a lot of my ImagOn rolls there has been this stuff that has this funny wave in it. I have no idea how old this piece is, I just decided to experiment with the stuff. I found out when experimenting with exposure times that longer is better for my line drawings. The plate below is one that was exposed for two minutes and has an interesting cloud look. The above plate was exposed for three minutes. It does not effect the etching at all. As a stop out resist ImagOn works great, if there is any at all on the plate nothing will etch in that area. So you really have to make sure your down to the copper of your line drawing you exposed if you want to etch any copper.
This image is called "Circle of Love" and the photo was taken right after the plate was rinsed off after coming out of the Edinburgh Etch solution. You can buy T-Shirts on Redbubble with this image on my Redbubble profile.
Proof of "Trying to Come Together"
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That's me this week, SPLAT! It has been a crazy, crazy week in the studio and out. I spent most of my studio time arguing with a second hand Epson printer. I think perhaps maybe it has won. I am not satisfied with anything I produced using it. So for fun I played with my graduation gift my sister made me in 1984. She made the clown doll and used some of my hand woven yardage I had left home when I went to college. My sister Janet is a very talented women!
I really love fooling around with my camera. Taking lots of pictures and arranging ideas for still life photography is just fun. That is what this image is all about and I refer to the image as clown in copper bed. And talking about Still Life's this is my traditional still life with vase and flowers:
I really super hate the cold in the winter and Terry being a sweetheart cheered me up with some beautiful tulips. I love the expression of the clown in this picture, the posture is just perfect for how this week has gone on. I took lots of photos of the clown with the tulips and plan to make a decision soon and put one on Redbubble.
My sister suggested that I trim all the duds and and mount them on a card. There were a lot! that did not print straight on the paper and such. I have started trimming and mounting said duds. Not sure yet what to do with all the cards.
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Proof "Lets Go Fly A Kite"
This is the first stage commitment to the Journey Board.
In the first group of pictures I did a repeat pattern with fossilized leaves bought at the craft store. I exposed the leaves using ImagOn, developed the plate in the soda ash solution to strip the lines down to the copper. In the next step the plate was aquatinted with Badger Acrylic solution for printmakers. Next the plate was etched in the Edinburgh etching solution invented by Friedhard Kiekeben. The etched copper plate is so beautiful.
Do you ever get an idea and it just feels so right that it is pure joy? Well, while dwelling on the theme of “patterns and textures of life” I was thinking of cut out dolls, praying hands, ripples in the sand. Wow, I remember a picture of my daughter at the beach the last summer she came home to look for work, perfect! I remembered a photo of her doing a little jump in the air at the beach. What a wonderful cut out shape! Now I am looking through photos of the family for cut out patterns that would work as repeat patterns. So I am off and hot on the trail until the next eureka!
My Soap Box
I love the technology age we are in; there is always something to figure out. That said, the simple tools that are a big time saver to me are the photocopy machine, scanner, photo editing tools, I really appreciate and love them. Graph paper way back when was wonderful, but boy am I ever glad I do not have to resize a drawing that way ever again. Sketch an idea turn it this way,that way, shrink, and enlarge at will. Yeah!
Digital photography and exploring photo collage possibilities is extremely fun and invigorating. I love it all, bring on technology. OK, I am not a Romantic about the past in some things. But, the original hand-pulled print in all its legitimate glory as the final crowing result is extremely important to me and my art. The original-hand pulled print is the real drawing/painting of my art. The hand- pulled print is royalty, the king, queen, prince, princess of the print world. It is not archaic, nor is painting and drawing. Remember folks, photography did not replace landscape paintings. Face reality and be honest with ourselves, no one would buy a digital reproduction if they could afford to buy an original painting. As artists, we all need to be proud of what we do, be it original artwork or reproductions of our artwork. The bottom line is honesty!
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This is my Journey wood block; well that is what I am calling it right now. I have not completely made up my mind if it will be horizontal or vertical. For sure there is going to be a 1.5 inch border around the story board, with little objects which again I want to visually tell a story. There are 5 knots in the wood that I am strongly considering turning into eyes. All the rest of the story images will have to work around the seeing eyes. Since my journey started on PEI, I decided to use the “Washed up On Shore” image first. I sometimes refer to the image as “I’d love to be a Blob on the Beach” which is true. So I have not started tracing anything onto the board (in reverse) yet. I need to think some more, because I want the board to evolve over time telling a story. I can make it part of "One with Copper" by inking the board up with metallic copper ink. *SMILE*
This has been Week 20 for "One With Copper"
Last night our wonderful Christmas tree came down and was dragged out to the curb. Not a fitting end to something so joyous and beautiful. It was surprisingly warm out with a pretty snow falling. The studio is a national disaster area with lots of boxes and clutter waiting to be packed up with the rest of the Christmas decorations. All of which is a major job before any printmaking can begin again. Not wanting to start my blogging year off late I took some of my plates out to the backyard and played. We have wonderful neighbours who decorate their backyard, which made for a great background for my spontaneous art installation.
Lots of copper etching and a large evolving woodcut piece to be worked in the very near future. As soon as I finish blogging today I will start again with the packing and tidying up of house and studio. It was truly a glorious Holiday Season! All the effort was worth it. I only have one regret, everyone was too busy going in many different directions for a Christmas music night here at the house. But, I did get to enjoy lots of Christmas music concerts elsewhere.
Happy Printmaking Everyone
Happy New Year Everyone!
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree
"That's A Wrap" for this year, time to kick back and relax with family. Check back in the New Year for lots of information on Non-toxic copper etching. Take care and stay safe over the Holidays.
