Using the information from the course I did at the Arthouse, and from Val Holmes' book, my first experiments in collagraphy printing are beginning to bear fruit.
Above is the print I've just made; printed onto a cotton/linen mix fabric.
Below, is the same print made onto Fabriano paper.
I intend to stitch onto both. Wait until they're dry though.
Below is the 'plate' I've printed from.
It's a mix of plastics and fabrics; all glued onto a 'plate' created from a beer can that was thrown away into the field near where I live. All the materials are recycled/re-used/second hand.
I collected some eucalyptus leaves from my friend's tree, and have made up this dyepot with them. Two bundles of a cotton/linen fabric mix have been folded, and dropped in.
The smaller one, was dropped in as it is; the larger bundle has been pre-mordanted with soya-milk.
I'm going to leave both bundles in for quite a long time I think. Try to get a dense colour.
Once dry, I'm going to experiment with the collography plate I've been working on. See what it prints up like. It's drying in the studio at the moment; the varnish is stinky!
Alkborough is a village on the edges of the River Humber, in north Lincolnshire. It's famous for having a turf labyrinth.
I've visited a number of times; in bitter cold winter, where we walked the labyrinth slipping and sliding on the icy surface; in summer, many years ago; and at the end of the summer, where I took photos, and a ladder, so I could take photos from above!
Below is one of the photos I took from the labyrinth in the village; overlooking the confluence of 3 rivers. Beyond the labyrinth, is the floodplain, the wetlands, and the rivers.
It's one of those wonderful liminal places that I love to visit. It's possible to walk along a footpath from the labyrinth, with the rivers down on the plain, and ponder how many ancient people have also travelled the path. It's an ancient track, amongst trees. And eventually we came to the small well. Water everywhere here; even high above the 3 rivers.
Alkborough celebrates its turf labyrinth by these blue plaques at the entrances to the village. They'd make wonderful rubbings! I'll go back for another visit, and take paper, and graphite pencils, and make rubbings.
2011, and I attended a workshop at the Arthouse where we learned collography printing. I'd never heard of it before, so was intrigued. This was the result.
We made collages using paper and fabrics glued onto thick card, and then painted it with varnish.
Once dry, we inked up the resulting printing plate, and passed it through the press.
At Harrogate last November, I bought a book by Val Holmes, entitled 'Collage, Stitch, Print'. The strands were coming together. I'd had a practice; here was a book with lots of ideas for developing ideas from that session.
So; I recently collected a discarded drinks can (Holmes recommends alchohol tins, saying the metal is of a finer quality) and began using it as a 'plate', and glueing textures onto it.
It currently sits in the studio, awaiting more work doing on it. It's fun; working out how things might look in mirror-image; trying to make a collage with no real sense of how the materials will react once they're inked up.
Experiments; playing.
I made a piece of white felt in my textiles course. It's hanging on the studio wall, waiting for the right plate to print onto it. It might not be this one! But it's fun imagining it might be!
Two weeks ago I went on a bookbinding course at the Arthouse, Wakefield. We got 2 books made; a section bound book, and a concertina book. The concertina book is the smaller, square one; in the photo below you can see how it unfolds.
It's a long time since I made books.
I used to teach bookbinding sessions when I worked in further education colleges. They were always fun...for me, anyway!
It was just great to sit and make 2 books, and come away with everything completed. Bliss. And as I've written here before, I love art materials, and sketchbooks. So the thought of having a brand new book to work in, that I've made, is very pleasing!
The snowdrops aren't through yet. This photo is from last year. Tiny green shoots are forcing their way through the earth, but they aren't in flower. I'm continually amazed by how tough these fragile flowers are. They come up in some of the least favourable weather; the coldest, bleakest part of the year. That post-xmas/new year period, when we're still entombed in long, dark nights, and short days.
But when these beauties arrive, I know that Spring will follow soon after. They are my personal heralds!
The snowdrops seem late this year.
By Imbolc (2nd February) they're often showing; 'candlemas bells'. I await them, and the turn of the year.
