A new monotype

Just a quick note today. I did get to use the printmaking press on Thursday. I am so glad I did. It was fun! I only printed the larger size, 8 x 10", but I liked what I did. Here is one of them:

Leaking Roof

I spent most of the day at home today. The kitchen roof is leaking, and my friend, Greg Mather, came to help me clear off the snow and ice so that I can get it fixed. Thank you, Greg! He did most of the work, so I fed him soup, and gave him some frozen salmon. It will be a relief to get the roof fixed, so that I can stop putting towels on the kitchen table, and I won't have to look at the crumbling joint compound anymore.

I finally finished the gallery packing. YAY!!!!!! I only need to get the big easel out, and three other random things, and then I am completely finished. What a relief. I was beginning to think I would never finish. I promised myself I would go and print monotypes as a reward for finishing, so tomorrow, I am going to the Colorado Mountain College in Buena Vista to use the printmaking press. I can't wait!!! It is the perfect reward.

I am posting a larger monotype from the last session, which was before the holidays, as a preview of more to come! I think this one is about 8 x 10" for the art, and the paper is bigger. It's called "Vibrato in Blue".

What is a monotype?

As promised, I am going to tell you a little more about the process for monotypes today. In case you forgot, or haven't been reading my blog until just now, montypes are my new favorite medium!! A monotype is created by painting on a metal or plexiglass plate. I use oil based printer's inks. Watercolor inks or regular oil paint may also be used. Once you have completed your painting on the plate, a piece of dampened paper is applied to the plate. The paper I have been using is called BFK Rives, and it is designed for printmaking. It is a fairly heavy paper, and has a soft texture. The dampened paper and plate are then rolled through a printer's press. If you don't have a printer's press, you may also apply pressure with a baron or wooden spoon. I have been using a printmaking press owned by the Arkansas Valley Art Center. Once you have pressed the paper and inked (or painted) plate together, you may lift the paper from the plate. It is exciting, because the pressure causes effects that you really couldn't create with a brush, without painstaking efforts. I have been using pieces of cardboard, leaves and feathers, and putting those on top of the inked plate, before applying the paper. The dimension of the cardboard, or other objects, creates intaglio (an impression in the paper) which I have been finding fun and interesting. Once you print, there is sometimes ink left on the plate, and if you print the image again, it is called a "ghost". It will look very different from the original print, and I often add more ink, or other elements to the "ghost". Each print is an original, one-of-a-kind piece of art, since you only print one. So when I sign the monotypes, they are 1/1.

Once the monotype dries, it is possible to go back to it, and rework it with watercolor or pastel, or some other medium. I have been using pastel. You can also ink another plate, and print on top of the first printing, for different effects, or if the results of the first printing weren't quite what you had in mind. The monotype you see here is a ghost, and I did rework it a little with pastel. It is called "Industry" and it measures approximately 5 x 7" for the art. It was printed on a buff colored paper. If you are interested in this, or another of my monotypes, you can check out my etsy site at karineswenson.etsy.com. Hopefully, I have explained this so that you have a better understanding about monotypes. If not, feel free to send me an email, or post a comment. I will do my best to respond, and answer any questions you may have.

Another cold day

We woke up to more cold temperatures and snow. I am a little tired of the shovelling, but I am consoling myself with the notion that I needed to excercise my arms a little more anyway. If only it could snow without being cold, then I would be in heaven.

I am still packing up the gallery, since I took two days off. My body told me to slow down (or stop) and so I listened. I will be done in a day or two. Since I am still packing, I am going to post a monotype that isn't brand new, but it is still recent. When I finish the packing job, I have promised myself a day with the printmaking press. That is a fine reward! I think in my next post, I will tell you more about the process behind monotypes, since I write about them so much. I thought I had already written about that, but upon reading my older posts, I realize I have not. So stay tuned!

The Joys of Packing

I have been working non stop, packing up my former gallery, Cool Mountain Art. It's amazing how much stuff I had in there! Packing up all the art has taken forever, since I don't want anything to happen to it. I used up one giant roll of bubble wrap. It was such a big roll, it wouldn't fit through the door! Yet, I managed to use it all. I only have a tiny bit left. I thought it would be more than adequate, not just for the art in the gallery, but also the art in the house. I guess that's how little I know...

I took a photo, so you can see SOME of the boxes and wrapped art. Don't you wish you were here, helping me right now? I hope to be done before the weekend, since I have worked on the packing for 9 days straight now. I did manage to get 5 pickup loads into our shed yesterday, so I am on the home stretch. Wish me luck!

tracks in the snow

While making tracks of our own in the snow yesterday morning, Pono and I came across many tracks that other creatures had left. The wind had been blowing pretty hard on Saturday afternoon, and Saturday night, so there were drifts. In places the top of the snow had crusted, and if a critter walked on the crisp part, often the tracks were the most fun: perfect impressions of tiny paws. I didn't get a good photo of that particular phenomenon, but there were some other fun ones for me to share with you.

It has still been quite cold on the walks, but the advantage is that the snow sticks around longer. (I guess that is a disadvantage for people who are driving. There are advantages to being able to walk everywhere!)

Another cold morning in Salida. It does feel good to get outside, despite the cold. So I am fortunate to have a dog who whines and yips until I get my act together and take him for his walk. It's like having a gym membership where you get a call every day, telling you to come and workout!!! Hmmm... maybe this is an idea for gyms to have as a membership option! Except that I am not a big fan of working out in gyms. I think it's the smell or something.

Well, today I tackle the packing of the gallery. I am planning on it being a fairly smooth and quick packing job. That way, I have more time to do art and play a little. I am aching to get up to Buena Vista and my beloved printing press. I am attaching my favorite monotype from the last printmaking session. It's called "A Note Held", and it is a medium sized print, but I don't have the dimensions here. I'll add that later. It is on a paper that is not white, but more of a buff color. In case you are wondering about that background!