I haven’t posted any of my prints for a while. With a new tutor in the studio, an introduction to different ink-related mediums, and a new array of printing advice/guidance, it’s taken me a while to find my feet and achieve the results I’m looking for.

A misty look at the city and communication aerials.

Crossed swords. This will have a further print added to the right.

Late at night.

Tree texture.

Under my feet. What I see on my bush walks; fallen leaves, puddles, rain spatter.

More bush walk observation.

4 responses to “Collagraph printing: Connectivity project”

ainescannell

September 10, 2019 at 12:05 am

Claire…That print which is a ‘blue-ish’ version of the first proof on this blog post – Have the ‘aerials’ been made using PVA, applied to the plate surface using a nozzle.? By the way I think that’s a great print. Is it large or tiny or what?
The background in that plate seems to be some kind of fabric? I have been following you for years and years….speaking of the ‘bush’ – have I missed something? as in – Are you living in Australia nowadays?

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1. Claire B
  
  September 10, 2019 at 8:50 am
  
  Firstly, yes, I’m living in fabulous Australia, about 40 minutes south of Sydney. Our house is on the top of a hillside with bushland falling away below us, with a river at the bottom, and many bush trails where I walk the dog every day. Couldn’t be in a more lovely place. Restful for the soul and quiet enough to think and form ideas.
  These print plates are part of a (seemingly never-ending) series which will form the pages of a themed book eventually. They are 5″ x 11″ (12.5cm x 28.5cm) and are made of different materials but most start with a mountboard base as it’s easy to find, can be cut away to reveal layers, and mediums and other materials stick well to it.
  The one you’re asking about has some muslin stuck to the surface (also known as scrim, depending on where you live). I sprayed a little ‘spray snow’ – I think it is for spraying onto plastic Christmas trees – onto the surface of this section to add a different texture. The buildings are cut cardstock painted with gesso. I poured PVA glue into a small plastic bottle with nozzle and then squeezed it out, just as you thought. Having done this before I note that this part often has to be done twice as the PVA has a tendency to self level. So once the first layer is dry I go over it again.
  The whole thing has 3 coats of varnish to seal. Varnishing helps to slightly fill the recesses in the muslin enabling the ink to fill those areas fully – if that’s what you’re after. You can see I did 2 different styles. The lighter one has a very light application of ink (and printed after only one layer of varnish), whilst the second one (after 3 layers of varnish) has ink pushed into the recesses to create a more solid effect.
  Applying ink using a toothbrush, pushing it into every crevice, gives the best effect for this type of collagraph.
  Give it a go, it’s fun making up plates and they never come out the way you expect. The prints are always a huge surprise.
  
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fibresofbeing

September 9, 2019 at 2:23 pm

Where you see aerials I see the aliens have landed.
I particularly like the texture of the night sky. A slightly disordered orderliness.

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1. Claire B
  
  September 9, 2019 at 5:07 pm
  
  A contemporary version of triffids, perhaps?
  Maybe I should have left off the comments under each print so people can interpret them however they want. Half my stuff is imaginary anyway.
  
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