Birds!

Long hours have been spent in the studio, making new monotypes. I have found a lighter weight printmaking paper that is enabling me to get better prints without a printing press, and I am having lots of fun. In my sketchbook, I have many tiny sketches of animals. The sketchbook itself is small - about 6 x 5 inches. So these sketches of animals are often dime-sized or smaller. They are just little quick sketches I do of the animals I see outside the window. As it turns out, many of them happen to be birds. Some of them were so much fun, that I decided to use them for making monotypes. I drew larger versions of these little sketches onto cardboard. (I save cardboard from boxes of crackers, cereal, or other food items.) I then cut the drawings out. Then, they get ink rolled on them, are placed on top of an inked plate, and are printed onto my printmaking paper. I have been using a baren, a pin press and a wooden spoon to apply pressure. For a step by step tutorial on how I print monotypes without a press, click here.

Here are a few of the results. The first one (at the top of this post) is called "Inquiry II", and measures 10 x 8 inches. The next one is untitled, and measures 5 x 7 inches.


This one is "Calling II" and measures 8 x 10 inches.


I hope to have a few of the new ones listed for sale in my etsy shop by the end of the week. I will be sure to let you know when that happens!