Gathering Willow Bast

My husband, Bob, grows three or four types of willows for basket making material. Yesterday I cut back a number of branches that were growing into a pathway and put them on the ground in the shade so that he could strip them when he got home from work. It rained for about 15 minutes which was just what the willows needed to stay moist. Bob informed me that it is too early in the season to gather branches for basket making because the wood is still too weak.

I checked them in the morning and tried peeling the bark away from the woody core. It came away very easily. I knew I could not pass up the opportunity to harvest this bast for future paper, so this afternoon when I was finished with what I needed to do, I moved the branches to my new papermaking outdoor studio (that Bob built for me as a 25th wedding anniversary gift) and began to spend the rest of the afternoon stripping the bast from the woody core.

About halfway through the stripping process it became evident that the branches were drying out because the bast was not coming off easily any longer. I put the remaining branches in a bucket of water and let them sit for about ten minutes. This helped to revive them.

I placed the stripped bast in a bucket of water so that they would not dry out. I wanted to be able to remove the outer bark from the bast.
It was a very easy task! I just laid a strip of the bast onto a board, held it down with my fingers and with a putty knife, scraped away the green bark. I was not able to get all of this bast scraped today. I hope to have some time tomorrow to finish the job. If I don't, I think I will put it in the freezer. If I let it sit in the water it will ret, which would probably be okay, but it will no doubt change color.I am saving the green bark that is removed to use at a later date as a dye. I did a dye experiment in the spring with willow bark, but it didn't work. There are too many variables to know why, but I will try a different technique with this batch.

Trace Monotypes

Today I created two monotypes using the trace method. I was experimenting and am pleased with the results.

Chine Colle Workshop

This weekend I attended a two day workshop at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking. This was the first time I have taken a class there. The instructor, Patrick Egger, is a recent MFA graduate from RISD. He studied under Brian Shure. Pat learned this chine colle method from Brian and taught it to us. I was one of three students enrolled in the workshop, which was wonderful because we each got our own press to use!

This method of chine colle uses a Japanese cooked wheat paste that is brushed onto rice paper and allowed to dry. About 30 minutes before use, this paper is put into a damp pack (placed between moistened pieces of newsprint and wrapped in plastic). These papers are then placed on top of the inked plate and a backing sheet (traditional European printmaking paper) that has been in a damp pack for 24 hours is placed on top and then put through the press.

I did a small series of prints with a drypoint etching plate I created today. The papers I chine colle'd were prints and ghost prints I did previously on thin mulberry papers.





I also used this method to collage previously printed papers together.



These pieces have been collaged over a print that I didn't care for. This will be the basis for a new print.



I really like this method. It allows me to paste up a lot of material at one time that I will have on hand to add to my printing plates as I work on them. A little bit of preparation will enhance creative expression. No need to stop the printmaking flow to prepare a piece for chine colle.

Thornton W. Burgess (imported from a different blog)

Welcome to my new blog! After getting re-acquainted with a favorite children's author, Thornton W. Burgess, I decided to create this blog to share with you his wonderful stories as well as the true nature stories that take place in my own backyard.

To begin, I would like to introduce you to Thornton W. Burgess. Follow this link to read a short biography.

Experimental Printmaking - Phase III

The last phase involved carving details into the images on the plates, which up until this point had been silhouettes (which I love the look of and will do more in the future). After the final carving, I reassembled the blocks in order and printed it.









Cutting the plates to 6" by 8" with the use of a table saw took off an eighth of an inch from all sides. Butted together, the design was slightly distorted. So for the next print, I spaced them to compensate for this.












For this next print, I randomly placed the plates down on the press bed.











And for the final print, I chose to print it in alternating colors.





I loved this project! My professor was unsure of my project all semester because there were many challenges along the way. In the end he said that he was quite impressed with what I had done!
Lessons I have learned:
1. If I want to print a large carved piece, I should use linoleum instead.
2. Carving tools must be kept sharp. I had so much trouble carving in Phase III because I was using dull tools. We tried to sharpen them, but I think it was too late!
3. Masonite isn't absorbent so at times it was difficult to roll the ink on the plate. I had some problems with the various inks, but I don't believe I figured out exactly what the causes were.

I have ordered some linoleum blocks and several types of linoleum and woodcarving tools, as well as a sharpening stone from Dick Blick. The order should be arriving this week. I look forward to using the blocks from this project incorporated with future designs.

Experimental Printmaking - Phase II

I would have loved to continue printing with this large block, but I had a deadline and two additional phases, so moved on to the next phase. Since the board was 18" by 24", I had it cut into 9 equal 6" by 8" plates.

My intention was to overlap the designs with transparent layers of ink. It took several brands and types of inks to find one that worked well. It was difficult to get transparency with the water-based block printing inks and even the water-based etching inks I was using wasn't creating the transparency I was looking for. I bought a sampler kit of Faust Aqua-Line inks. These are lovely, creamy inks that I was introduced to in a Silk Aquatint class I took at Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven, CT. Mixing the colors with the transparent medium finally gave me what I was looking for. I experimented with hand printing, using the press at school and with the small hand press I have at home (which I bought from Jerry's Artarama) and with different types of papers, including some of my handmade paper.
Here are a few samples:

Experimental Printmaking - Phase I

This past semester, continuing with my printmaking studies, I took a class entitled Experimental Printmaking. It was up to me to decide what I wanted to do. The following photos are a summary of the project.

I wanted to make a large woodblock print that I could print from and later cut into smaller sized blocks and print from again. So the design had to be such that each of the blocks could be stand alone, though become somewhat abstract because of this. My design idea was the Tree of Life often depicted in old textiles. I created a design that had elements modeled after Jacobean embroidery and other textile samples that I have.

I wanted the block to be 18" x 24", so the first decision was finding a wood that would be suitable and available in this size. My options were few. I experimented with carving birch plywood and 1/4" Masonite boards. I decided to use the Masonite.

Carving was not difficult in the beginning. I realize now that it is because my tools were sharp.







After spending almost two months carving the design, I was only a little more than half way done. I decided to use a dremil to help speed things up. This turned out to be a learning experience because each type of tool made very different types of marks.


The left side is hand carved and the right side is Dremil carved.

I went back over the Dremiled areas with the hand tools to make a more uniform design.

Now that I was satisfied with the carving, I printed
several two-color prints.

This completed Phase I on this printmaking project.

Prints for a Print Exchange

I am organizing a Print Exchange. This session's theme is Black and White. The hardest part for me, usually, is settling on a design. I have so many ideas that it is hard to settle on just one! Was looking at old manuscripts of Persian gardens and saw one that had pomegranate trees in fruit. I love the shape of pomegranates, so decided to use this in my design. I am also working with traditional textile designs in my artwork, so incorporated some made up paisleys for this.

print on gampi paper that I made this summer















The lino block


The drawing



Printing on various papers








creating a layered design