An Attitude of Gratitude Journal, Photography

Continuing along with the month long Attitude of Gratitude Journal challenge, here is Day24:

 I saw this wonderful little vignette on my kitchen windowsill today as the sun was shining in for a short time. The colors are so fresh and cheerful!

Wouldn't you know that the topic for today's journal page is Photography? Of course I had to use this photo!

The technique challenge is to do a photo transfer using gesso. This technique involves placing a photocopy face down in gesso, allowing it to dry, spraying it with water and then rubbing off the paper to reveal the black image adhered to the gesso. I've done this technique before and don't like it because it makes my fingers sore from rubbing off the paper! I decided to do an inkjet transparency and gel medium transfer instead. I haven't done this in many years.

In my experience, any of the transfer techniques are tricky and don't always work the way you expect them to. Here the transfer looks more like a fading, scratched up watercolor than a photo, which is a cool effect but I really like the image and wanted it incorporated onto the journal page so did the following. I sprayed the printed side of the transparency with permanent spray fixative (took it outside to do this). When it was dry I applied gel medium to the back of it and glued it over some of the writing. I REALLY like how that looks!

The quote for today is by Robert Frank, the great American photographer. I saw an exhibit of The Americans a few years ago at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I loved the exhibit and spent a very long time examining the photos and contact sheets. It surprised me to read that this collection of photos was not well received when first exhibited. The audience did not like seeing "the Americans" in these photos. They were too ordinary, too ugly. I suppose they were looking for something more idealistic or nostalgic. Very interesting. Borrow the book, The Americans, from your library if you are unfamiliar with this work. It is an important part of our history for more reasons than what I am writing here.

Lastly, I am pleased at how well this page coordinates with the page of the previous day. I did not plan it, but it worked out. Another very enjoyable prompt!

Incorporating Gampi Transfers with Printmaking

I came across this video by accident (don't you love serendipitousness?) I have printed photos onto my handmade gampi paper and love how it looks, but have been reluctant to incorporate them into my artwork knowing that the inks would smear if I applied acrylic mediums or any other liquid glues. In this video the artist, Darlene Olivia McElroy, instructs you to spray the image with a fixative and allow it to dry before applying the medium. I am excited to try this. A simple solution to the dilemma! My gampi isn't white or tissue-thin like the type she uses in the video, but if I have a background similar to the natural gampi paper it should blend well. If not, that is okay because this paper is beautiful and will add its texture to the finished piece.




Two photos taken while vacationing at Madison Cottages, Summer 2010. Sepia and black & white/green tinted photos inkjet printed on my handmade gampi paper.

    

I have done "ghost prints" on thin store-bought gampi and have used some in prints via chine colle, but the paper doesn't "disappear" the way it does when using acrylic medium as shown in this video. You can see that in this print where the paper on the right was adhered via chine colle to the print then overprinted with the inked oak leaves. Perhaps if I thoroughly wet the gampi paper (providing the ink printed on it is waterproof) as well as the backing paper, it may "disappear". If not, I can try to use a matte medium so that this section won't have a shine to it (from gloss medium which this artist uses), since the rest of the print doesn't have or require that look.